Lumiose University - Part 2
by AmourshippingCanon
Summary: Ash Ketchum and his friends have finally gotten comfortable at Lumiose University, and as they get started with their second semester, more adventures and challenges await. As they fight to qualify for the IPL playoffs, the mysterious Pokemon hunters plot in the background. Will Ash, Serena and the others learn what they need to in order to both succeed, and save the school?
1. Sam Oak and Sam Oak

**Author's Note:**

Lumiose University Part 2 is here! Hope everyone enjoyed part 1 (if you're here and didn't know there was a part 1...there is, so feel free to check it out to better understand this one). I'm hoping this one is where things really get going and things go into high gear. Lots to come, so get ready, and I hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Sam Oak and Sam Oak**

"All right, Infernape use Mach Punch, and Hawlucha, counter with High Jump Kick!"

The explosive force from the impact between two of the most competitive Pokemon one could imagine almost seemed to shake the very earth. At least, for those watching it felt that way. The surrounding Pokemon, both wild and not, watched in awe as the two fighters strained against one another, their trainer urging them on with a cheer of excitement alongside his loyal Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon's cheeks sparking with electricity.

Finally, the two Pokemon broke apart, the wrestling hawk Pokemon and the fiery ape each dropping to a knee as they panted, exhausted from their training session. The surrounding Pokemon all cheered, amazed by the fight the two had put on, before their trainer stepped up, smiling widely. Next to him, his little Riolu appeared, running up to Hawlucha to enthusiastically mimic his actions from the battle.

"That was a great battle you guys!" Ash Ketchum finally called out, looking at his two Pokemon with pride. "I haven't seen either of you battle like that since your last league battles. You guys have really come a long way since then."

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu said in agreement, nodding his head as hopped up on Ash's shoulder. He appeared to be hoping he would be part of the next training battle, although Ash had already put him up against Sceptile earlier, and he was pretty sure Pikachu wouldn't be quite recovered just yet. Sceptile was also putting on a bit of a tough act, but Ash could see he was still breathing pretty heavily, their final Leaf Storm and Thunderbolt clash having wiped them both out.

Ash took a quick glance at the field he'd been training on all day, realizing the workout he and his Pokemon had had so far. He couldn't help but wince as he noticed the torn up grass, craters and scorch marks all over the place. "Professor Oak isn't going to be happy about this, is he?" he asked Pikachu, looking nervously towards the Pokemon Researcher's lab. "He's probably hoping our winter break ends sooner," he added, chuckling. "But hey, at least we're training hard so we're ready for school, right buddy?"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded, apparently agreeing.

The thought of Lumiose University brought a smile to Ash's face as he thought of all that had happened in the first semester. Sure, he'd had his rough moments, but it had been pretty fun so far. He'd had some great battles, not only in his classes, but also with the Interschool Pokemon League, which was some of the highest level of battling out there, not far off gym and league battles and tougher in some cases. He'd also added a couple of awesome new Pokemon to his team, in Dartrix and Riolu, with the former already looking like a very capable battler, while Riolu definitely had the eagerness to learn.

And then there were the friends Ash had made. There was Dawn, of course, who he had met here in Kanto before he'd gone to Lumiose University. She was hoping to become a Top Cooridnator one day, and she looked like she could do it, too, having earned the captaincy on the Lumiose Luxray's Performance Team for the IPL. Ash was impressed with how far she had come since they'd met, as she appeared to be taking on the leadership role well, helping their friend Tierno grow into a pretty good Coordinator himself, the dancing enthusiast strongly influenced by her. Marie, her roommate, also appeared to be learning quite a bit from her, the relative of the many Nurse Joys seeking to learn as much about Pokemon training as possible.

The thought of roommates made of think of Clemont as well, the Gym Leader of the Lumiose City Gym, and an incredible inventor. He was a little unsure of himself at times, but Ash admired the confidence his friend seemed to gain as he learned more, and it really showed in his work with his Grotle he had received as a Turtwig in their Levels and Experience class, as well as how much he had helped Shauna in their team effort to raise their Skitty for Reggie's Breeding class. Shauna, a Performer, was definitely full of energy, and she and Clemont did a great job together. Trevor, their photography loving friend, had been impressed as well, taking tons of pictures, claiming Skitty was quite unique, even though he said that about most of their Pokemon when taking pictures.

And then there was Serena. Ash didn't even realize he was bringing his hand up to his cheek as he thought of the honey blonde Performer. She was a pretty remarkable person, and he'd come to admire her a great deal, watching her grow from an already skilled Performer when they had first met, to a champion in the making, capable of bringing out the best in the most unlikely of places. She and Ash had helped Riolu grow into a healthy young Pokemon, but where Ash had been most impressed was Serena's work with Absol.

His fists clenched as he thought of those hunters, wondering just where they might be, and where they might go next. They had done terrible things to Pokemon, and they still had no idea how many Pokemon had been hurt, and how long they'd been active. What they did know, was that Absol had been one of the hurt Pokemon, and Ash was almost sure he'd seen a miracle in what Serena had accomplished with the Disaster Pokemon.

Absol had been in the Pokemon Centre for a long time after Ash and Serena had rescued him from a hunter that had been trying to sell the injured Pokemon in the city. And while Nurse Joy and Marie had been extremely helpful in taking him down the path of recovery, Ash was sure that without Serena, Absol would still be in a very dark place. A Pokemon that had no reason to trust humans, and a Pokemon that appeared as though it may never recover from physical and mental injuries alike, was now becoming an important member of Serena's team.

It made Ash feel somewhat guilty as he looked towards his backpack, which still held the box with his blue ribbon that he'd won when he'd visited Coumarine City on his first trip through Kalos, along with the prize he'd earned for defeating Serena and Absol on the way to winning Professor Sycamore's tournament at school. _My Key Stone,_ he thought, looking around at his Pokemon, some of them moving off for various sparring sessions, and a few others still looking at him. He wondered which of them he might be able to use it with, his eyes going to Charizard and Sceptile first, but part of him felt that it wasn't right for him to have it, given that the tournament had been meant to show the development of a strong bond, and as strong as his was with Dartrix, who he'd won with, Serena and Absol had come so far.

They weren't really the only ones, either, Ash thinking of the whole group of friends once more, smiling as he remembered how they'd all come with him to see him off. He'd been sure to get some pictures for Trevor of his Pokemon, and he'd encouraged Riolu and Hawlucha to train with some of the dance moves Tierno had taught them in one of their training sessions. Dartrix was also training hard, ready for his next match with Clemont and Grotle. All of his Pokemon were working hard, ready to be called upon if needed so that Ash could be there for his friends for both the IPL and anything else.

His hand went to his cheek again, thinking of that goodbye at the airport. He still didn't understand it, and he was sure he was missing something, but he couldn't shake the warm feeling he still felt from that final moment with Serena. It hadn't been distracting him too much from his training sessions, but he did find himself staring into space during meals, making his mother wonder what was wrong. He could only ever mutter an answer about thinking about his friends, and wondering how they were doing, but he felt his face heating up each time, and his mother appeared to find it very amusing, as though she understood something he didn't.

"You talk about Serena quite a bit, you know?" Delia had said last night during dinner, during one of Ash's moments of spacing out. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Ash still had no idea what that was about, but he'd told his mother more about his friend, asking if she'd remembered anything about that summer camp he'd gone to way back. She did mention that he'd played a lot with a girl, and he'd explained that it was probably Serena. That only got more amused looks from his mother, though, for whatever reason.

Ash jumped a bit, staring around in confusion at his Pokemon as he heard his mother's voice for real this time. When she called his name for a second time, he turned around, seeing her approaching his group of Pokemon from the direction of Professor Oak's lab, where she was helping to prepare lunch. "Ash! Look what you've done to the field!" she said in shock, staring around in exasperation. Her look softened, however, when Pikachu ran up to her, running up to her shoulder. "You're going to have to apologize to Professor Oak and do something about this."

"Uh...yeah, I guess," Ash said, feeling guilty as he looked at his mess again. Hopefully Bulbasaur could help him out with that, along with the other grass types. "Is lunch ready?" he suddenly asked, looking back at his mother, his stomach growling loudly as he realized how hungry he was.

Delia couldn't help but smile at that, gesturing for Ash to come. "Yes, lunch is ready. Food is out for all of the Pokemon as well."

"Awesome!" Ash said, looking to his Pokemon excitedly. "Let's go eat, guys!"

They gave a cheer of their various cries and began to move along with Ash, before his mother quickly stopped them, having one more thing to add. "Ash, there's one more thing. Professor Oak has visitors here today..." She looked a little more serious this time, which made Ash a little worried and confused about what this could be about.

"Visitors?"

"Yes...from the Alola region."

* * *

"Jessie, James and Meowth, reporting to HQ! For the glory of Team Rocket!"

Meowth always felt a little nervous whenever they came here, but as they'd returned to Kanto, following the twerp and his Pikachu here, the trio had decided that it would be necessary to make a report. They'd been in Kalos for a long time now, and quite a bit had happened, so it was definitely worth it to update the boss. And, as Jessie had put it, if there was a special mission to be carried out in Kalos, they would be the top ones for the job, and the reward that would come with it.

"As long as that witch Cassidy isn't there, we'll be fine," Jessie had said, before they'd left Pallet Town, where they'd been considering trying to steal the twerp's entire collection, before realizing that it was a bit ambitious to try at the time.

Being at the Team Rocket headquarters, however, was always a little more intimidating than when planning the visit. Various grunts were running around, busily carrying out their tasks, while a few scientists ran their experiments in the labs. It never failed to make Meowth just a little uneasy, and he knew it was somewhat the same for his companions, even if Jessie was good at hiding it. Of course, none of them could hide their uneasiness as they headed towards the elevator that would take them up to meet the boss.

"Jessie, James and Meowth," the guard said as they reached the elevator. "I hope you three have good news from Kalos. Haven't been slacking off, have you? No chasing little kids around, I hope."

"Dats none of your business," Meowth growled, showing off his claws. He knew he wasn't the most intimidating of Pokemon, but at least his claws were sharp, and this guard knew not to start anything, having his nice little position guarding the boss' elevator. "Now let us up to make our report."

"Yes sir," the guard muttered, opening the door and clicking the button to send them up.

"Nice one, Meowth," James told him as they entered. "Finally some well deserved respect!"

"It was _my_ good looks that made him let us through," Jessie said indignantly. "We all know it." Meowth and James simply ignored that.

When they reached the top, the elevator opened up, and Meowth led the way out. The trio made their way towards the desk where Giovanni's assistant, Matori, was waiting, typing away on something on her computer. "You three," she muttered, not even looking up at them as they stopped in front of her. "Who let you up?"

"We're here with an important update on our Kalos mission for the boss," Jessie announced proudly, James and Meowth nodding in agreement. "You would be wise to let us pass."

"I don't think so," Matori responded, sounding distracted with whatever she was doing. "You're of little use to the boss. I doubt he even remembers you exist."

Meowth winced, knowing this would set Jessie off. He could see that James thought so too, the blue haired man quickly grabbing hold of their companion before she could lunge forward. "Let's not start a fight right outside the boss' office!" he hissed in her ear.

"I'll start a fight wherever I would like, thank you very mu-" Jessie was nearly screaming before a voice from a speaker on Matori's desk interrupted her.

"Let them in, Matori."

Matori seemed irritated by that, shooting the trio a vicious glare before looking down. "Yes sir," she said, before waving them past. "Go on, it's through here," she added, pointing to the door."

Meowth and James nodded, walking forward while Jessie continued to fume. "Of course it's through there! Where else would it be?!"

Fortunately James pulled Jessie through the doorway as Matori made a quick remark about Jessie needing basic instructions just to open the door. Meowth was almost tempted to laugh, but knew he'd live to regret that once they were done here. Of course, he wasn't sure how this next interaction would go, and any laughter he may have been about to release could have been stopped immediately as he looked at the intimidating man at the desk in front of them.

Giovanni always liked his office dark, it seemed, and Meowth had to admit, it made him much more intimidating, which was probably the point. Not that he, Jessie and James wouldn't be nervous in a bright room with the man. His purring Persian wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, either, looking at them with its menacing eyes as it circled the desk, before returning to Giovanni's side for him to pet it.

"This had better be important," Giovanni snapped, leaning back in his chair and looking menacingly at his subordinates. "I have little time for nonsense, and I don't want to hear anymore about that Ketchum boy's Pikachu you've been chasing for Arceus knows how long."

"Sir," Jessie said, taking the lead as she knelt down, James and Meowth following suit. Meowth was definitely glad she had recovered quickly from her encounter with Matori, as she was probably the best at talking to Giovanni. "We're here to update you on our mission to Kalos, and to provide important information on what we hope to accomplish in the coming months."

Giovanni took a deep breath, sounding like he was holding back his rage. Clearly his patience was thin, but he seemed curious enough to know what was going on in the other region, and nodded for Jessie to continue. "Go on then. What is your update?"

Jessie nodded as well, looking to Meowth and James before returning her gaze to the Team Rocket boss. "As you know, we've been in Kalos for over a year now, at first tracking that twerp and his Pikachu. We understand you have little interest in us continuing this quest for now, but the twerp has led us to discovering important things about Kalos."

Meowth was impressed with Jessie's talking, seeing Giovanni looking a little interested. "What important things? I am aware of this Mega Evolution, and of the boy's Greninja and its strange abilities. We are working on a plan to acquire them both. That is a mission that will require time."

Jessie paused a moment, looking a little nervous as she glanced at her companions again. Meowth nodded for her to continue, though, and she did. "Yes, sir, I am sure that you will devise a perfect strategy to get what you desire." She took a deep breath, and then went on. "While in Kalos, we've discovered the Pokemon universities there, and the one in Lumiose City is run by the Mega Evolution research expert, Professor Sycamore. At a tournament he held, he provided the winner with a Key Stone which is required in Mega Evolution, along with the Pokemon's Mega Stone. The twerp won."

Giovanni leaned forward at this, clearly much more interested. "The Ketchum boy has this Key Stone?"

Jessie nodded, looking pleased to have Giovanni's attention. "He does, sir. And not only that, but while the tournament was going on, a man from the Alola region visited. He attacked us with a special move that seemed to require a special stone of some sort as well. It appears to have similar powers."

"Interesting," Giovanni murmured, rubbing his chin and looking up in thought. "The Alola region...I may have to send a group there to investigate."

"We would be honoured to go for you, sir," James blurted out, getting an angry look from both Jessie and Meowth. They knew that Giovanni usually never gave them a task they asked for like that. However, he seemed pleased with their update thus far, and nodded.

"Very well, although I only want you there briefly for now. Go to this Alola region and gather whatever information on these special moves that you can. See if it has anything to do with Mega Evolution." He paused for a moment as he leaned over and whispered a quick command into a microphone. "Provide me with an update on any information you gather, whether it be in regards to this or Pokemon in the area, along with any problems we may encounter if we move in."

The trio nodded excitedly, all very pleased to be getting what appeared to be such an important mission. Meowth had one question however, and quickly asked it. "Sir, you said you wanted us der briefly. What else did ya want us ta do?"

"You'll need to return to Kalos and watch this university. If that man from the Alola region went there, it has to be due to Mega Evolution, or possibly due to the boy's Greninja. I want to know of any updates with either of those things." Giovanni glanced up as Matori's voice was heard, informing him that someone was there. He called for them to enter and continued while a man holding a tray with eight pokeballs came in. "If you get the opportunity, I want you to acquire me a Key Stone. A Mega Stone as well if possible, but the Key Stone is the priority. You'll need to be armed well if you're going to succeed, so I've called for a couple of your old Pokemon to be returned to you."

Meowth opened his mouth in surprise as the man with the tray handed Jessie and James each four pokeballs. "Seviper and Yanmega?" Jessie asked, looking up. "And Woobat and Frillish as well?"

James looked ecstatic. "Mime Jr. and Carnivine! And Yamask and Amoongus! Boss, we gave you-"

"These Pokemon are of no use to me, but they may provide you with what you need to succeed in your mission," Giovanni muttered, waving away the man that delivered the Pokemon. "At the very least you are familiar with them. Now, do you know what you need to do?"

"Yes sir!" the trio shouted out, all feeling quite good about the meeting.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," each of them said in turn.

And, as they left, Giovanni added one last thing that filled each of them with pride. "Good work."

* * *

Before Ash went inside to the lab, he quickly made sure his Pokemon had their food, which Tracey had helped to organize. Then, he'd gone to the bathroom to quickly clean up, his mother telling him he wouldn't be eating until he had gotten rid of all the dirt and grass stains. Pikachu had also been ordered to clean up, as he'd be joining in on the lunch with Professor Oak and his guests of course.

When he was finally done, Ash headed towards Professor Oak's kitchen, hearing the laughter of those in the room. He wondered who the guests might be, remembering his mother mentioning they were from the Alola region. If that was the case, could one of them be Hala? He doubted it, not remembering Hala saying he'd be visiting Professor Oak during the break. But then...who were they? He supposed he was about to find out.

"...and that's when Agatha used her Gengar. I had no idea what to do next, so I-"

The voice stopped as Ash walked into the room, and he immediately felt four sets of eyes on him. Two were Professor Oak's and his mother's, but the other two were...well...one of the other two was different. It was a man with a lab coat that was unbuttoned to reveal his bare chest, and he almost looked like he was ready to go to the beach, wearing shorts and looking a little tanned. The other, meanwhile, looked almost exactly like Professor Oak, just with longer hair, tanned skin, and a shirt with some kind of water Pokemon on it, while also wearing shorts.

"Ah...and this must be the man himself! Ash Ketchum!" the man with the lab coat announced excitedly, standing up from his seat and stepping towards Ash, shaking his hand. "Hala told me quite a bit about you, Ash. It's a great honour to meet you."

"I...uh...hi," Ash stammered, unsure what to say exactly, not knowing who this man was.

"Oh, sorry," the man laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm Professor Kukui, and I'm a researcher in the Alola region. And my friend here, is Sam Oak!"

"Sam Oak?" Ash asked, looking surprised as he looked at the man, before glancing to Professor Oak. "But..."

"Well, I'm actually Sam _son_ Oak, while my cousin who you know is Sam _uel_ Oak. People are often confused, but I do look better," the Alolan Oak said, chuckling as he got up to shake Ash's hand as well. "Now don't be a Slowpoke and have a seat, Ash. We've been looking forward to meeting you."

Delia quickly put Ash's plate in front of him, while Professor Oak explained what was going on. "You see, Ash, Professor Kukui and my cousin are two of the most prominent researchers in the Alola region. I haven't had as much of a chance to work with Samson as I'd like, but he's here to look at some of the Kanto Pokemon here as some of them are actually known to appear quite differently in the Alola region."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, eating some of his food while Kukui greeted Pikachu. "Like...Pokemon that are here look different in Alola? So Pikachu isn't the same there?"

Samson Oak shook his head. "Not all of them are different. Pikachu is actually very much the same, although...his evolution is a different story."

"Raichu looks different?" Ash asked, eyes wide with excitement. He remembered seeing some different looking Pokemon when he'd gone to the Orange Islands, but this sounded even more unique.

"Oh yes, and in fact, its type changes as well. Imagine a Raichu that can use Psychic attacks, along with electrical ones." Samson laughed as Ash looked at Pikachu excitedly.

"That would be so cool to see. I'd love to battle one!" he almost shouted, his mother quickly placing a hand on his arm to let him know to settle down. "So...you're trying to compare the Pokemon then?" Ash then asked, wondering what they would be able to find. "What is it you're hoping to find?"

"Well, I'm not too sure yet, but I would like to see how they developed so differently. That involves looking at the climate and environment, and other species they've interacted with. Many factors like that." Samson then looked to his cousin. "I do hope you haven't forgotten your promise, Samuel."

Professor Oak laughed, shaking his head. "Of course not, Samson. The Vulpix egg is here for you. It should hatch when you are home again."

"Vulpix? Does that mean Alola has a different kind of Vulpix?" Ash asked, not realizing how many questions he was asking, as he was so curious about these regional variants.

"Sure does," Kukui said, leaning back in his chair, having already finished his meal. "One of my students at Melemele University, Lillie, has one of her own that we're hoping to compare to. It's an ice and fairy type in the Alola region. Very powerful."

Ash didn't miss the mention of this Melemele University, assuming it was probably quite similar to Lumiose University. What interested him more, however, was Kukui mentioning how powerful the Pokemon was. He remembered his conversation with Hala, wondering if these Pokemon could use Z-Moves. "Can these Pokemon use Z-Moves?" he asked, leaning forward curiously while Pikachu hopped down to eat his food, an ear pricked up to listen.

"Oh sure, I believe most Pokemon can use them, if raised well and if they share a strong bond with their trainer," Kukui answered, looking intrigued by Ash asking this question. "I take it Hala gave you a little lesson on those, didn't he?"

Ash wasn't surprised Kukui knew Hala, nodding as he thought of the man's offer that he never got back to him on. "I was supposed to give him an answer about visiting Alola. I just got so busy with the IPL at school and-"

"Nothing to worry about!" Kukui interrupted, laughing as he clapped Ash on the back. "Hala knew you were gonna be busy and that Samson and I were coming here. The offer still stands if you want to come back with us. You can train with Hala, and even sit in on some classes. Might even be able to transfer schools if you want. Lots to do in Alola, and I'm sure you'd make plenty of friends. You're actually already talked about quite a bit there!"

"I am?" Ash asked, feeling a little awkward about that. He heard his mom saying something about him being a wonderful, popular boy, but ignored that as he looked to Kukui, who nodded with a laugh. "Is it because of Greninja?"

Kukui nodded, fiddling with something around his waist before continuing. "We've heard quite a lot about it, and Hala hasn't stopped since getting back from Kalos." He paused, smirking a little. "I do have to ask, though...is the hype true? Maybe I'll need to test things out myself."

Ash knew a challenge when he heard one, and he was standing before anyone could react. "You wanna have a battle?" he asked excitedly, Pikachu immediately scurrying up to his shoulder, ready to go if needed.

Kukui laughed, clearly admiring the eagerness to accept. "I would. How does a two on two sound?"

"Sounds awesome!" Ash said, smirking. "But be ready. I was runner up at the Kalos League. I'm tough to beat."

"I'm sure you are!"

Delia and the two Sam Oaks weren't really in a position to stop the two, and Ash had a suspicion that they'd already known it was going to be proposed, so before they all knew it, they were outside on the field, right where Ash had been training earlier. His Pokemon were mostly gathered around, with Pikachu and Riolu at Ash's side. Professor Oak and Delia were behind him, while Kukui was across from him, and Samson Oak was standing as the referee.

"All right, Ash. Mind if I choose first?" Kukui called out, pulling out a pokeball. Ash nodded, perfectly fine with it, and excited to see what the Alolan researcher called out. "Okay then, Incineroar, let's go!"

Ash immediately pulled out his PokeDex as he saw the flaming two-legged feline Pokemon emerged. His PokeDex quickly confirmed his suspicions that it was the evolved form of Torracat, and Ash could see that it was probably going to be tough to beat. It was extremely muscular, with huge claws and very sharp looking teeth. Its body was mostly red with black stripes, and around its waist was what appeared to be a belt of fire.

"Well, I'll need a strong Pokemon to match that!" Ash said excitedly, looking towards his assembled group. "Maybe..."

His choice was made for him, as out of the sky came one of his fiercest fighters, and one that loved a good fire fight. "Rawwwr!" Charizard roared as he landed in front of Ash, shaking the ground a bit as he did so, shooting flames from his mouth as he stared down his opponent.

"You wanna battle, Charizard?" Ash asked, laughing as his fierce fire type nodded. "Well all right then, I choose you, Charizard! It'll be fire against fire!"

Kukui looked impressed as he looked at the Flame Pokemon, nodding his approval. "That looks like a well trained and powerful Charizard, Ash. I can see where your reputation comes from."

Ash smiled with pride, while Charizard snorted out a puff of smoke, looking a little smug. "You haven't seen anything yet! Charizard has beaten some tough opponents, and he's only gotten stronger as time's gone on!"

Both trainers waited in anticipation as they looked to Samson Oak, their Pokemon tensed up in preparation to attack. Finally, Samson waved his harm and yelled, "Let the battle begin!" and both were released. However, Ash got a little surprise as Kukui was a little quicker with his order.

"Throat Chop, let's go!"

"Flamethrower!" was Ash's response, the raven-haired trainer watching closely to see just how powerful his opponent was. Unfortunately for Charizard, he seem _very_ powerful.

Incineroar roared loudly, charging forward as his legs kicked up dirt behind him, reaching Charizard as the fire lizard inhaled in preparation for his Flamethrower. "Raaaarrrr!" the Heel Pokemon growled, crossing his muscular arms in front of himself before seemingly slicing them across Charizard's throat.

Ash's eyes widened as he saw one of his most powerful fighters flung back with such force. Charizard landed hard on his back, seeming to roar but with no sound coming out as he clutched at his throat. All that remained of his attempted Flamethrower were a few puffs of smoke escaping from his jaws. Ash had never seen anything like that.

"Sorry about that," Kukui said, looking guilty as Charizard rolled over, panting, but staggering to his feet. He still looked like he was in pretty serious pain, but Ash knew he desperately wanted to respond, just for pride. "I get pretty into it to start a battle."

Ash wasn't sure how to respond, still looking nervously at Charizard as the Flame Pokemon panted. He wasn't surprised to see the small smile from his loyal Pokemon, though. Charizard did love a challenge, and this was a big one. "Charizard wouldn't have it any other way," Ash finally said to Kukui. "All right, Charizard, let's get this battle going! Seismic Toss!"

Charizard nodded, clearly still unable to roar, and he took off at full speed with a flap of his wings. Incineroar didn't even move, standing still as the fiery lizard rushed towards him. Ash was pretty sure Kukui had a plan, but he had no idea what, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to land this attack, so he watched on in anticipation as Charizard reached Incineroar and grabbed hold of him, before kicking off into the sky.

As sore as his throat must've been from Incineroar's attack, Charizard was not going to be denied a roar as he started flying in a loop up in the sky, going faster and faster each time. Ash had won a few battles with Charizard using this as his finisher, and even though it was just the start of this one, perhaps he could save them some trouble from what appeared to be a pesky opponent.

When he'd looped through the air a few times, Charizard suddenly rushed towards the ground once more, and Ash could see he was putting everything he had into making this as perfect a Seismic Toss as possible. With another roar, he took Incineroar by the arms and threw him hard into the ground as he made it to within a few feet of the grass below him and then darted upwards. He flapped his wings and then quickly circled back to land in front of Ash, waiting for the dust cloud around Incineroar to dissipate.

"Not bad, Ash," Kukui said, nodding as a shape started to become visible through the dust. "But to beat Incineroar, you'll need more than one strong attack."

Ash and Charizard almost seemed to mimic one another, each of them staring at their opponent with their jaws dropped. Incineroar was up, smiling menacingly, and looking like he barely had a scratch on him. Ash couldn't help but think that Charizard had actually gotten the worst of the attack, the Flame Pokemon breathing heavily after the exertion.

"No way..." Ash muttered, looking down to Pikachu who also looked dumbfounded.

"Now, how about _I_ finish things up? Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" Kukui ordered, punching the air as he became more animated with his excitement.

"Raaarrr!" Incineroar cried out, fangs bared as he smiled, before he darted forward, his massive arms spinning rapidly. He reached Charizard in an instant, his attack battering into the Flame Pokemon's chest, causing him to cry out as he stumbled back a few steps, trying to stay upright before collapsing into the dirt just in front of Ash. Incineroar leaped back, while Samson made the call.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Incineroar is the winner!"

"Charizard!" Ash quickly rushed forward, eyes wide with concern for his Pokemon as he knelt next to it. He was quickly filled with relief, however, as his Flame Pokemon weakly opened his eyes, looking up at his trainer. "You okay, pal?" Ash asked, knowing that Charizard hated losing more than anything, but hoping that his fierce fighter would accept it for now, in the interest of recovery. Fortunately, he seemed to, smiling weakly at his trainer as he slowly raised his head, looking to Kukui and Incineroar and giving them a small nod, before laying it down again.

"Bulba bulbasaur!" Ash glanced up at the sound of his grass type, seeing him approaching with a pokeball held by a Vine Whip. Ash quickly thanked him, glad that Bulbasaur was on top of everything here at the lab, and he took the pokeball, recalling Charizard into it.

"Thanks for your help, Charizard. You were awesome. You'll get 'em next time." Ash felt a slight shake from the pokeball, before it went still, and he clipped it to his belt before returning to his battle position. Pikachu looked up hopefully at him, but Ash gave him an apologetic look before looking to Kukui. "I bet you'd like to see Greninja, right Professor?"

"If you don't mind," the Alolan researcher said, smiling as he and Incineroar looked on in excitement.

Ash didn't mind at all. He figured this was the perfect opponent to use his full power against, and Greninja would certainly help with that. "All right then, Greninja, I choose you!" he shouted, pointing ahead.

For a moment, nothing happened, and the two Oaks and Delia appeared to think Greninja wasn't there, but then, a moment later, Ash felt his Ninja Pokemon's presence. "Ninjaaa!" Greninja yelled loudly, appearing over Ash's head in a flip, before landing straight in front of him, holding his webbed hands in front of his face.

"We'll have to be careful, Greninja," Ash warned, tensing up, knowing his body needed to be ready as well. "Incineroar might even be stronger than Alain's Mega Charizard."

For some Pokemon, that may have been intimidating, but Ash felt great pride in the Ninja Pokemon as it only seemed to embolden him. He and Ash were ready to take the next step forward on their journey in finding out just how far their power could go. They weren't going to let a tough opponent get in the way of that. "Gren!

"Let's do this!" Ash shouted, bringing his fist up to his face and pulling it back. "Much much stronger!"

The two of them shouted out, feeling the power rush within them as a massive torrent of water erupted around Greninja. Ash could feel it through his Ninja Pokemon and embraced the feeling of the water hitting his skin as he felt the connection grow stronger, Greninja's features changing to match his own, and a giant shuriken of water appearing on his back. As the transformation completed, the torrent exploded in a shower of water that sprayed around Greninja, and Ash could sense the excitement of not only Kukui, but the others as well.

"Oh my, Ash, you've certainly made progress with Greninja, haven't you?" Professor Oak said, sounding stunned as he looked on. "Well done, my boy!"

"Oh isn't that so pretty! He even looks a bit like Ash!" Delia added, making Ash chuckle a bit in embarrassment.

"Fascinating," Samson murmured, exchanging a look with Kukui. "I've never seen anything like it."

Kukui almost seemed at a loss for words before finally speaking up. "I've seen the videos of your Kalos League battles, but...wow, this sure is something seeing it in person." He then nodded to Samson, smirking as he looked back to Ash. "Now let's see what the battling is like."

Ash smiled back as Greninja readied himself, and this time, when Samson called for the match to start, they got the first move in. "Greninja, Night Slash!"

"Gren!" the Ninja Pokemon shouted, unsheathing the watery blade, rushing forward as a purple mist began to cover it. Kukui seemed cautious, but unwilling to take the full attack head on like he had with Charizard, and quickly ordered a Bulk Up, Incineroar's muscles flexing and appearing to grow just before Greninja's blade struck across his chest.

"Raaarrr!" the Heel Pokemon cried out, staggering back, but otherwise looking all right. Ash wasn't sure if it had been more successful than Charizard's attack, but he was glad to have gotten an early hit in.

Kukui appeared to decide he should go on the offensive, though, and Ash knew he needed to focus even harder if he was going to get another good hit in. "Incineroar, keep him on his heels with Flamethrower!"

Incineroar gave a piercing roar, and unleashed a scorching Flamethrower that ripped into the ground, heading straight for Greninja. Ash wasn't going to make it that easy for Kukui, though, quickly calling for a dodge, feeling it in himself as Greninja jumped, his feet light as he darted out of the way, getting into the air.

This seemed to provide the opening Kukui was looking for, however, and he quickly called his next attack, pumping his fist as the battle started to speed up. "Throat Chop! Get in there!"

"Dodge with Double Team!" Ash countered quickly, desperate to avoid that powerful attack this time, definitely not wanting another one of his Pokemon to feel that.

"Gren!" Greninja confirmed, spreading his arms wide as he appeared to split into dozens of copies, each in different positions. Incineroar went for where the original had been at first, but as he sliced into it with his Throat Chop, the copy simply disappeared.

Kukui smirked as he looked around, nodding in approval at Ash's quick thinking. "Nice move, Ash, but we've got a backup! Flamethrower! Full power!"

"Raaarrr!" Incineroar cried out, taking a deep breath and then unleashing his scorching attack. It seemed to rip through all the copies, destroying each of them as Incineroar circled in midair. However, when he finished, he hovered for a brief second, seeing no sign of his opponent.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted, feeling the rush of anticipation from his Pokemon as he appeared above Incineroar, his webbed foot glowing white as he struck down.

"I don't think so, Ash! Darkest Lariat!"

Ash winced, remembering the speed with which Incineroar had attack Charizard with that attack, and watched on as Greninja met it with Aerial Ace. It appeared to be a decent match at first, Greninja using all the speed he could muster as he lashed out with each of his limbs glowing white with power, but ultimately, Incineroar's flailing arms were too quick, and too powerful, making their way through and striking Greninja in the chest, sending him flying towards Ash.

"Ahh," Ash gasped in pain, clutching his chest and dropping to a knee as Greninja did so. This seemed to make Kukui and Samson do a double take, each looking both concerned and awed by this, but Ash and Greninja recovered quick enough, forcing Kukui to focus on the match once more. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"NiiiinnnJA!" Greninja shouted, leaping high into the air as he grabbed the shuriken on his back and then spun around, throwing it forward with all his might. It rushed towards Incineroar at full speed, impacting with him hard, exploding against him creating a splash of water and cloud of steam as he staggered back.

"Hang in there, Incineroar!" Kukui encouraged. "Use Throat Chop once more!"

"Water Shuriken, one more time!" Ash countered, reaching to his own back as Greninja did so, grabbing hold of the newly formed shuriken. "Block it!"

"Gren!" Greninja shouted as he quickly held his shuriken up, just in time to block Incineroar's Throat Chop, the Heel Pokemon's arms slashing into the water attack, straining momentarily, and then causing it to burst apart. Ash gasped from the strain, watching as Greninja staggered back, defenceless as Incineroar rushed forward.

"Darkest Lariat!"

"Night Slash!"

Claws met blades as both Pokemon put everything into their attacks, a blur between them as Incineroar's arms whirled in front of him and Greninja's purple blades came up in defence, rushing to block the attack. Ultimately, Greninja just didn't have enough space to use his attack, one of Incineroar's attacks coming up to strike the Ninja Pokemon's shoulder, forcing him to drop a blade as Ash winced. With the extra space, Incineroar took over, battering Greninja's chest relentlessly before sending him flying backwards.

He landed hard in front of Ash, both of them gasping for air as they clutched at their chests, and winced as they rolled their shoulders. This was definitely no regular opponent they were up against, and they needed something to help them get through this. Ash could feel another wind coming as he and Greninja locked eyes, and each took a deep breath, a warmth coming to their bodies as they looked to their opponents in determination.

Ash didn't even notice Kukui's stunned look as he felt the rush of power overtaking him and Greninja. "Let's do this Greninja! All our power! Water Shuriken!"

"Ninjaaa!" Greninja cried out, his shuriken expanding on his back as he leaped into the air, stretching out as he embraced his rise in strength.

"Incineroar! Let's go! Malicious Moonsault!" Kukui cried out.

Ash's vision wasn't quite right. It was like seeing through a watery window as he looked ahead, feeling Greninja readying his attack, his arm raised as his shuriken spun overhead. In front of him, however, Kukui seemed to be doing some sort of strange movement, similar to what Hala had done at Sycamore's tournament to get rid of Team Rocket. And as he did so, Incineroar mimicked his movements, a yellow aura appearing around both.

Then, finally, as Greninja cried out along with Ash, their attack sent forward, Incineroar rushed at Greninja, body engulfed in flames that were brighter and hotter than Ash had ever seen. He barreled through Greninja's attack, roaring as loud as he could, before striking the Ninja Pokemon with all his might. Ash yelled in pain as he and Greninja fell back, their connection breaking as Greninja struck the ground, fainting immediately.

"Greninja is unable to battle! Professor Kukui and Incineroar are the winners!" Samson called out, Ash wincing as he tried to sit up to get a look at Greninja, who, fortunately, was stirring a little.

"Greninja, you okay?" Ash called out weakly, slowly crawling forward to his Pokemon, before finally reaching him.

"Gr...gren," Greninja whispered weakly, reaching out a webbed hand to his trainer to let him know he was okay.

Ash smiled, glad to see his Pokemon was fine, before he looked up to Kukui and a gasping Incineroar, the two looking ecstatic about the battle they'd just had. "Wow Ash! That was definitely something!" the Alolan researcher said excitedly. "You and Greninja...that is something special you've got there."

Ash laughed nervously, not sure what to say. He was a little upset their special attack hadn't worked again, but he had felt pretty good for the most part. He was sure they were making progress. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Greninja sure is great. I just..."

"You want to know more, right?"

Ash was quiet for a moment, but he had to admit, if he could figure out more, even just a little...who knew what they could accomplish. It wasn't just for him, it was for Greninja, and in a way, it was for his friends who were relying on him for his help, whether it be in the IPL, or against the people who sought to hurt Pokemon.

"What should I pack for Alola?"

 **Author's Note:**

Ohhh boy! Ash falls rather convincingly to Professor Kukui, but we all know Kukui is pretty tough (most should know anyways). I love Charizard, so that was tough to hurt him, but I did want Incineroar being worthy of Ash-Greninja before going all out and I didn't want him tired out. As for Greninja losing, his shuriken has failed once again, dammit! But perhaps answers will come...in Alola.

And Team Rocket had some interesting stuff going on. They've got some old Pokemon back, and Giovanni's got our favourite trio on an important mission. Let's both hope and not hope they do well.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time, when we find out what our favourite girl Serena is up to.


	2. The Absol-ute Best

**Author's Note:**

Hello all, and once again, apologies for the gap in chapters. Got excited with writing the Bonnie story and had a bit of a block on this one. Some important stuff coming up, though, so hopefully it was worth the wait. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 2: The Absol-ute Best**

The break from school had been quite nice so far, with no assignments, no rushing to classes, and no stressing over important battles or performances, or just figuring out what to do next. Well, for Serena, there was a part of her wondering about her future, but she had told herself not to think too much on Hala's proposal during the break. For the Performer, this was the perfect opportunity to just enjoy a couple of weeks with two of her friends and spend some quality time with her Pokemon.

The first week hadn't been too busy so far, and Serena and her friends had taken plenty of time to just stroll through Vaniville Town, hang out with her mother's Rhyhorn, and do a few mini training sessions with their Pokemon. Both Shauna and Dawn were staying with her due to their families being busy with work over the holidays, so Serena had done her best to make Vaniville feel like home to them.

It hadn't been too hard, with Grace having immediately taken to Dawn, and already knowing Shauna. The four of them had plenty of fun at meal times, and Grace wasn't strict about various house rules Serena had as a child, knowing it was their break, so it was quite nice for the three girls. Serena could tell that both of her friends were still a little disappointed they couldn't have gone home, particularly Dawn, but they were still making the best of it.

And today, was a particularly interesting day, as Serena and Shauna had asked Dawn to take them through the rules of Pokemon Contest battling from the perspective of a professional. Obviously they were both reasonably familiar with contests at this point, and each had participated in a couple of minor contest battles but they were eager to know what a Coordinator could teach them. Serena had been quite looking forward to it, knowing that Absol had a bit of a battler's spirit, so she thought letting him try out some contest battles would probably be fun for him.

 _Maybe Absol and I can learn a few tricks before our visitor comes,_ Serena thought, checking on the clock in the living room of her mother's house before she and her friends set off outside.

As Dawn led the way out, Serena grew more excited about the day ahead, thinking back on the offer she'd received in regards to Absol back in Coumarine City. Much like learning about contests from an expert like Dawn would be beneficial, learning about what else she could do with Absol from an expert would be extremely helpful in the next stage of their journey together. They'd made a great deal of progress so far, but there was much to be done. _Hopefully she'll have some good advice,_ Serena thought, holding Absol's pokeball and thinking about who would be coming later on.

She was going to have to think about that later, however, as Dawn was now running out into the field where Serena used to do much of her Rhyhorn racing training. Piplup was out in front of her, while she was also calling out her Vivillon to join them. Serena and Shauna both stopped a few feet away from Dawn as the Coordinator turned to face them, her Pokemon lining up in front of her.

"So the most important thing you guys should know about contests, is the big difference in judging compared to performances. We're always judged by a panel of judges, even outside the IPL." Dawn paused there, seeing both Serena and Shauna nodding, both knowing that part already. "The most important thing is how points are awarded, though. In performances, you are part of the show with your Pokemon. In contests, the Pokemon is the star. The focus needs to be on them."

Serena knew this as well, with Fantina having taught this point carefully in their Appeals class, but she knew it was worth having Dawn explain it. Sometimes the differences could be a bit confusing, as the Coordinator still needed to be key to the Appeals or Battle round going well. Being a Performer, Serena had been very cautious about her Appeals exam with Absol, knowing that she needed to make sure he was the focus and that she wasn't involved in the same way she usually was. What she was more interested in about, though, was contest battling, remembering the excitement of her screening battle with Braixen.

Dawn knew that Serena and Shauna were both interested in that, though, and immediately looked to the two Pokemon in front of her. "With battles, you're judged similarly, but your moves need to be able to do damage as well. If you only rely on pretty moves, you may gain some ground, but your opponent will be able to wear you down pretty quickly."

"Being so used to performances, that's probably the toughest thing for us," Shauna pointed out. Obviously both she and Serena had some experiences battling at this point, but on the big stage, it would be difficult for both to remember the important differences.

"Well then we might as well practice, right?" Dawn pointed out, backing up to make space between her and the two performers, Vivillon hovering in the air while Piplup held up his flippers in preparation to battle.

"Ohhh I want to go first, is that okay Serena?" Shauna asked excitedly, already pulling out a pokeball. Serena nodded, backing up as she chuckled at Shauna's excitement. She was happy to see Dawn's demonstration with Shauna before trying out a match against the expert herself. "Go Skitty and Ivysaur!" Shauna called out as her two Pokemon emerged.

Dawn looked interested to see what Shauna would do, having already had a few training sessions with her when she'd prepared for her exam with Skitty. Serena knew Dawn would likely win, but she was pretty sure Shauna could pull off a few unique moves. She'd done fairly well with her minor attempts at coordinating so far, so she wasn't completely new to it.

"Okay, let's get started then!" Dawn called out, stepping back enough so there was space between her Pokemon and Shauna's. "You make the first move when you're ready, Shauna!"

"Okay, Ivysaur, use Sweet Scent!" Shauna ordered quickly, clearly excited to get the battle started immediately. "Skitty, when it hits, use Sing!"

Serena was impressed already, seeing Piplup looking a little dazed as the pink dust from Ivysaur's bulb drifted towards Dawn's side of the field, its sweet smell making the Penguin Pokemon lower its guard. Vivillon was clearly ready for it, though, and Dawn wasn't going to let it go on much longer.

"Gust, Vivillon, and Piplup, use Whirlpool when ready!"

As Skitty appeared to be preparing its Sing, Vivillon flapped her wings quickly, a blast of wind shooting forth immediately, sending the Sweet Scent back where it came from. Both Ivysaur and Skitty were too shocked to react, each stumbling from the Gust, before Ivysaur's own attack caused them to become a little dazed, each smiling as they took in the scent. It didn't last too long, however, as Piplup's flippers raised and water began to rapidly swirl above him, before he tossed the vortex forward. It took hold of Shauna's Pokemon, and before she could voice her surprise, her Pokemon were trapped.

"Ivysaur, try to get out with Vine Whip!" Shauna called out, panic in her voice. Serena could see it was no use, though, Ivysaur and Skitty too caught up in trying to stay above the water as it spun them around. Dawn didn't even appear to be done, still preparing to finish off her combination.

"Vivillon, keep using Gust to keep that Whirlpool spinning, and Piplup, hit it with an Ice Beam!"

"Villon!"

"Lup!"

Serena's eyes widened in amazement, watching the two Pokemon working together flawlessly. Vivillon may have been relatively new to all of this, but Dawn had clearly trained her well so far, and her own expertise was shining through the work of the Pokemon in front of her. The Whirlpool seemed to spin faster and faster with each second, and as Piplup's Ice Beam struck it, it shone brightly in the sun, beginning to look like a giant crystal top. Skitty and Ivysaur could still be seen at the top of it, but now they were completely trapped, unable to move at all in the ice.

"Peck, Piplup!" Dawn then ordered, pointing ahead as her partner Pokemon ran forward, beak glowing and extending before he leaped up and struck the spinning ice pool. It shattered upon impact, pieces raining down and sparkling in the sunlight as Piplup flipped backwards, landing in front of Vivillon who blew the pieces further up and away so they wouldn't land on anyone down below.

Serena then looked to Shauna, who watched her Pokemon fall in front of her, stunned by the quick counter and stunning performances by her opponent and her Pokemon. "How...that was so fast," she whispered, staring ahead to Dawn. "I couldn't even react."

Dawn looked a little guilty for her dominant display, but smiled as she quickly congratulated her Pokemon and then turned to Shauna. "Sweet Scent was a good first move, but once you told Skitty to use Sing, I knew I had the chance to go on the offensive. You were focusing too much on making this like a performance. Those moves would look and sound good together, but in a contest battle, they can't be an opening move together, otherwise you'll fall behind."

Shauna looked a little confused, but Serena was sure she understood it enough to get the idea that she needed to focus a little more on the battle side of it. She then looked to her Pokemon in front of her, taking a deep breath as each got to their feet. Skitty, being much younger, looked more tired, but both seemed ready to give it another try, which seemed to impress Dawn.

"Ready to try again?" she asked to confirm, Shauna nodding along with her Pokemon. "All right, I'll go first this time. Piplup, Bubble Beam! Vivillon, String Shot!"

"Skitty, Fake Out! Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" Shauna quickly countered, narrowing her eyes as she tried to focus as hard as she could. Serena could see Dawn watching closely as well, the Coordinator looking intrigued by Shauna's readiness to try again, and her more offensive technique to start the battle.

It appeared to work, as Ivysaur's Razor Leaf cut through Piplup's Bubble Beam, the bubbles popping and the water glistening in the sun, while Skitty darted forward and leaped up, driving her body into Vivillon before she could use String Shot. Shauna appeared ready to continue, pumping her fist with excitement as she called her next order.

"Skitty, use Sing! Ivysaur, Energy Ball into the sky!"

Serena bit her lip nervously as she watched, seeing Dawn narrow her eyes. It seemed as though Shauna was falling back into her performing habits. "Piplup, Ice Beam on Skitty! Vivillon, blow her back with Gust!"

"Lup!"

Shauna seemed to see her mistake, but it was too late, with Piplup spinning around quickly and striking Skitty with a perfect Ice Beam, the Kitten Pokemon quickly encased within ice. A moment later, Vivillon flapped her wings furiously, just as Ivysaur's Energy Ball began to sparkle in the sunlight, its green light shining upon the Pokemon below. Skitty was sent flying into it, the ice breaking on contact, and the Energy Ball exploding into what appeared to be green fireworks that lit up the shattered ice. Shauna could only blink in surprise as Skitty landed on Ivysaur, the two also looking stunned by another quick counter by Dawn.

"Aww, I did it again," Shauna said, scolding herself as she gave her Pokemon an apologetic look. "Sorry, you two."

"No need to worry, Shauna," Dawn told her, smiling as she congratulated Piplup and Vivillon. "You had a good start, and then old habits kicked in. It happens all the time. You'll get the hang of it."

Shauna smiled in thanks before looking to Serena. "How about you try, Serena? Maybe it would be good to see what you can do."

Serena hesitated a moment, but after an encouraging nod from Dawn, she took a deep breath, giving her own nod of agreement. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"That's the spirit!" Dawn said excitedly as Serena and Shauna switched places. "Who will you use?"

Serena knew the answer immediately. While Shauna's Pokemon were both performance driven, even with Skitty trying a minor contest battle in her exam, Serena had one that had a bit more of a fighter's spirit, and she had Braixen for guiding the performing aspect of the battle. "Braixen and Absol, let's go!" she yelled, throwing their pokeballs forward, the fire and dark types emerging.

"I figured as much." Dawn laughed out, signalling for her two Pokemon to get in position. "All right, Serena, whenever you're-"

Serena raised her eyebrows in confusion as Dawn paused, wondering what could've distracted her. She then decided to follow her friend's gaze, turning around and seeing Shauna do the same. She smiled when she saw what, or _who_ , it was.

"Hey, mind if I join in?" the person standing behind Shauna said, patting the Pokemon next to her.

It was Astrid, and next to her, was her Absol.

* * *

Clemont had been pleasantly surprised when he'd found out that his father had arranged a mini trip for their family in Shalour City. While Bonnie was convinced it was so that Clemont could spend some time with Korrina, Meyer had assured him it was due to a request from Gurkinn to help work on something at the gym there, and that Professor Sycamore was hoping to create some kind of partnership with the schools in the field of mechanics that he'd be helping with. Meyer had still made note of the fact that Clemont would have the opportunity to see Korrina, though, and the Lumiose Gym Leader couldn't help but think that was still a huge reason for them being there. As embarrassing as it was, though, he was still grateful.

Clemont, Bonnie and Meyer had stayed back in Lumiose for a few days of the break, before they'd come on a small plane the previous night, and today, Clemont had made arrangements to see Korrina while Meyer would be working with Gurkinn. Bonnie, despite Meyer attempting to steer her away, had invited herself to join the younger pair. Despite his father's apologetic look, though, Clemont didn't mind too much. Bonnie would likely embarrass him a couple of times, but Korrina did seem to like her, so he was sure the day would still be fun.

So, on the morning after their arrival, Clemont and Bonnie were up bright and early, and after a quick breakfast with their father, they set off to find to meet with Korrina near the Shalour Gym. It was fairly quick, even with Clemont lagging behind as Bonnie ran ahead. So, it wasn't too long before they reached the beach directly across from the gym. Clemont could see that the path that led to the gym was open, but it wasn't necessary to cross, as Korrina was already there, waiting for them.

"Clemont! Bonnie!" the Shalour Gym Leader cried out happily, running forward to greet them. Bonnie reached her first, hugging her excitedly before Korrina rushed over to Clemont, surprising him with a hug of his own. "It's good to see you again. Feels like it's been months since the dance!"

"Yeah, it does seem like it's been awhile," Clemont said, laughing nervously as Korrina backed up a step. He could see Bonnie trying, and failing, to hide her smirk. "So, how's it going here?"

"Pretty good," Korrina said, smiling at Bonnie's Dedenne and lightly petting him. "I've been taking care of that Vivillon I told you about. It seems to be recovering, and Nurse Joy thinks it will get better. The only problem is..."

"It's pretty freaked out, isn't it?" Clemont asked, assuming that it was probably much like Serena's Absol in that sense. Only through countless hours to get him to open up had Serena succeeded in making him more comfortable with people, and even now he was still fairly nervous. "Probably pretty afraid of people at this point."

Korrina nodded, looking out at her gym with sadness in her eyes. "I can't believe what these hunters are doing. These Pokemon are getting seriously hurt, and we don't even know how big of an operation this is. It could even be worse than we think."

"We're going to figure it out, Korrina," Clemont told her seriously, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I know we will." He smiled, realizing that Ash's confidence about these kinds of things seemed to be having an influence on him. "Those hunters won't be around much longer."

"Yeah...yeah, you're right." Korrina took a deep breath and then looked towards the city, before returning her gaze to her companions. "How about you guys come with me to visit Vivillon? It would do it some good to meet some more people, I think."

"Oh I want to see it!" Bonnie cried out excitedly. "We'll help make it feel better, right Dedenne?" she asked her Antenna Pokemon excitedly.

"Nene!"

"Yeah, I'd like to see it. Maybe we can figure something out to help it," Clemont said, nodding as Korrina stepped towards the path to lead the way.

"Great, then let's get go-"

"Bee bee!"

Clemont blinked in surprise as a bolt of electricity suddenly rushed towards him, striking his chest and knocking him flat on his back. He gasped, the wind having been knocked out of him, before scrambling to get up and looking accusingly at Bonnie and Dedenne. "Bonnie, what was that for?"

"It wasn't Dedenne," Bonnie said innocently, before the two of them looked to Korrina, who appeared to be giggling.

"Clemont, it's just someone saying hello!" the Shalour Gym Leader said, pointing to the real culprit.

"Bee bee!"

Clemont couldn't help but smile as his eyes met Elekid's, remembering how it had helped them back when they were looking for Absol. He remembered Korrina having mentioned that it had hung around and helped her out afterwards, so he assumed that's what it wanted to do this time. He got up a moment later, walking up to the electric type and kneeling in front of it. "Nice to see you again, Elekid? How have you been?"

"Bee!" Elekid announced proudly, thumping his chest with his fist. "Bee bee!"

"I think Elekid's really missed you, Clemont," Korrina said, Elekid nodding at her words. "He seems to wonder where you are whenever I run into him."

Clemont was surprised about that, but he supposed he did have a unique relationship with electric type Pokemon. They always seemed to work well with him on his various inventions, and this Elekid had been quite helpful in working with Korrina so far. He was glad to have it on their side. "Well, it's good we'll get to hang out a bit, Elekid. Do you want to come along to see how Vivillon is doing?"

Elekid nodded quickly, clearly eager to go with them, and with that, the group set off to the Pokemon Centre, Korrina in the lead and Bonnie close behind while Clemont struggled to keep up. Elekid stayed back with him, though, and fortunately they didn't get lost behind the two girls, and eventually they reached the path that led to the Pokemon Centre and saw them up ahead. Bonnie called out for Clemont to hurry up, but Korrina stayed patient, and finally he reached them as they stopped in front of the Pokemon Centre.

"Nurse Joy has Vivillon in the back. We can just go straight in," Korrina said, once again leading the way as they entered.

Clemont, Bonnie and Elekid followed her in as she made her way towards the back, each waving to Nurse Joy as she dealt with a trainer at the front desk. As they made their way through the door, Clemont noticed the various rooms that had different Pokemon being cared for. For the most part, they seemed to be there for routine checkups or minor injuries, but as he looked at them, Clemont couldn't help but think of what it would look like if they found the Pokemon that the hunters were holding. It made him feel sick as he thought about it. When they reached Vivillon's room, he didn't feel much better as he noticed the bug type on its bed.

From what Korrina had described of its condition previously, it must've recovered quite a bit, but Clemont could still see the weakness in the Pokemon's eyes as it looked up at them. It appeared to be glad to see Korrina, murmuring something as she approached it, but it definitely didn't have much energy. And when it saw Clemont, Bonnie and Elekid, it appeared somewhat fearful, only calmed by Korrina's assertions that they were friends.

"Hi Vivillon, I'm Clemont," Clemont told the bug type quietly as Bonnie shuffled up next to him. "And this is my sister, Bonnie, and her friend Dedennne. We all love Pokemon, so you don't need to be afraid of us."

"It's true, Vivillon," Korrina told it, lightly petting it. "They're a couple of my best friends, and they're really nice. You'll love them!"

"Ouch, you're in the friend zone, Clemont," Bonnie quickly whispered. Clemont had no idea how to respond to that, face heating up as Bonnie moved forward towards Vivillon. He let it go, though, deciding that Vivillon was more important.

"Bee bee!" Elekid suddenly piped up, walking up next to Bonnie as Korrina encouraged Vivillon to say hi to her. "Bee bee!"

"This is Elekid," Korrina said as she noticed him. "He helped me to find you and get you back from the Pokemon Centre."

Vivillon seemed to somehow know this, possibly recognizing Elekid's scent or something, and seemed to light up upon seeing him. It nodded its thanks to the electric type, before looking over to Clemont, who finally moved forward to greet it. It appeared to be livening up a bit, but Clemont could still see the fear in its eyes, and that it was still a little scarred.

"Bee?" Elekid suddenly asked, looking to Korrina before pointing to Vivillon. He appeared to pretend to be flap imaginary wings as he pointed over to the bug type a few more times. After a few moments of everyone looking at him in confusion, he gestured to the door and pointed once more to Vivillon.

"I think Elekid wants to take Vivillon outside to get it some fresh air," Clemont said, thinking the idea wasn't too bad, but wondering if Vivillon would be up to it. "What do you think?" he asked Korrina, who looked surpised.

"Well...if Vivillon was up for it, and Nurse Joy thinks it's a good idea, maybe it would do some good," she said, looking to the bug type. "What do you think, Vivillon?"

"Vi...vi...villon," the Scale Pokemon answered, looking nervous, but nodding as it exchanged looks with Elekid and Dedenne.

With its agreement to an outing, Korrina then gently picked up Vivillon in her arms, before the group headed out of the room to go and find Nurse Joy. When they found her, she quickly agreed to the idea, thinking it would be very good for Vivillon to try to fly again to get its wing strength back. So, within a few minutes, they were heading outside, Elekid excitedly leading the way with Bonnie and Dedenne.

Korrina suggested that the group head back out to the beach, which everyone else agreed with, considering there was a bit more activity in and out of the Pokemon Centre and they wanted to make things easier for Vivillon. So, they headed back the way they had come previously, and before too long, the Shalour Gym was once again in view. Clemont could see the path was a little narrower with the tide having come in a bit, but they didn't need it, and just stayed towards the edge of the beach.

"So Vivillon, do you want to try flying?" Korrina asked, as they came to a stop by the water, Vivillon looking like it was glad to see the outside again.

"Villon," the bug type said, shuffling a little in her arms before jumping and trying to flap its wings. It didn't seem to work very well, the poor Scale Pokemon wincing as it fell back into Korrina's arms.

"It might be a good idea to try from closer to the ground," Clemont suggested, not wanting Vivillon to fall if Korrina couldn't catch it.

Korrina agreed and gently put Vivillon on the ground, patting the sand to show that it was relatively soft if it fell again. "Don't worry about falling, Vivillon. Just keep trying and you should be able to fly in no time!"

"Me and Dedenne will help!" Bonnie told it, she and the Antenna Pokemon crouching down next to the bug type and showing it what to do, jumping up a bit and flapping their arms.

Vivillon surprisingly seemed to appreciate that, mimicking the two as it tried once more, jumping a little higher than it did before as it gave a little flap of its wings. It seemed to still feel weak, though, only moving the sand a little with the minor flap of wings. It tried again a few more times, not making too much progress, but looking happy to have the support, and determined to keep trying. Eventually, Elekid came over to aid in his own way.

"Bee bee bee!" the electric type said confidently, patting Vivillon gently on the back, before spinning his arms and jumping up, actually appearing to hover a moment before dropping to the ground. Vivillon seemed impressed by that, nodding as Elekid appeared to encourage it to try once more.

"Villon!" the Scale Pokemon then cried out, doing its best to flap its wings as hard as possible. It didn't seem like it was too much, but Clemont could see it was more than before, and he and the others cheered as Vivillon went up in the air briefly before falling to the ground, gasping from the effort.

"Hey that was really good!" Korrina said, looking to Clemont and Bonnie, eyes shining with excitement. "That's some good progress!"

"If you keep practising like that, you should be flying in no time, Vivillon," Clemont said, as Elekid looked proudly at the bug type, nodding in agreement.

With some extra confidence after that attempt, Vivillon continued to try, making a little bit of progress each time. It might not have been what some would've considered a fun day, but to Clemont, Korrina and Bonnie, there were few things they'd rather be doing than helping the injured Pokemon. And by the time Vivillon was done, panting from the effort of its many attempts at flying, the difference was night and day, with the bug type now hovering a couple of feet in the air a few times after a few flaps of its wings.

Eventually, it became clear that Vivillon was too tired to continue, however, and Korrina picked it back up, congratulating it on the progress it had made throughout its training session. "Almost there, Vivillon! You did great today!"

"Bee bee!" Elekid said, nodding in agreement, patting Vivillon on the back again. He looked to Clemont, who also nodded, impressed by the electric type's ability to encourage Vivillon. He doubted Vivillon would've put as much effort in as it did without Elekid.

"Should we head back to the Pokemon Centre?" Korrina asked, glancing down at Vivillon, who was looking between Elekid and Clemont for some reason. Korrina seemed to notice the look, glancing towards Elekid as he stepped forward towards Clemont, raising a fist and smiling.

"Bee bee!"

"What's wrong with Elekid?" Bonnie asked, shuffling over to stand next to her brother, Dedenne scurrying up to her shoulder.

Korrina laughed, causing the siblings to look to her in confusion. "Elekid wants to battle you, Clemont! I should've known he would want to. I think he wants to go with you."

Clemont's eyes widened in surprise at that, looking back to Elekid, who kept up his challenging look, but also smiled and nodded at Korrina's words. "Wha...are you sure? Would everything be okay around here without him?"

Elekid looked a little worried about that too, looking to Korrina to wait for her answer. She nodded, though, waving it off as though it wasn't a big deal. "It seems like there isn't too much more to find around here, but we've got Officer Jenny on high alert if there is, and I've got Lucario and my IPL team to help me out if anything happens. Elekid is better off getting some training from you for when the time is right!"

"You think so?" Clemont asked, feeling his heart starting to race with excitement. It had been awhile since he'd battled and caught a new Pokemon, and he knew Elekid was a tough one. _This could be pretty fun._ Korrina nodded, looking like she wasn't going to let him go without him battling Elekid, so he looked back at the electric type, his own challenging look on his face. "All right then Elekid. Let's battle!"

"Oh yay! Can I help take care of it if you win?" Bonnie asked excitedly, as Clemont pulled out a pokeball and Elekid jumped back to make some space between them. Korrina also shuffled back, watching with anticipation, Vivillon looking interested from her arms.

"Of course you can, Bonnie," Clemont told his sister, laughing at her grateful look. "But I've gotta catch him first, and that won't be easy."

"Bee bee!" Elekid said in agreement, narrowing his eyes. He was clearly ready to battle, so Clemont prepared to throw his pokeball.

"Grotle, come on out!" he shouted, his grass type emerging in a flash of light in front of him. His gluttonous grass type seemed surprised to be called upon, but as he looked ahead to Elekid, he got into battle position. As tough as he could be to handle sometimes, Clemont knew Grotle was loyal, and he was perfect for this battle.

"Good luck, Clemont!" Korrina called out, winking to him as he glanced towards her. He blushed, grimacing as he noticed Bonnie giggle to herself upon seeing it. He dismissed it quickly, though, looking back to Elekid and readying himself for the battle to start. And, a moment later, the electric type made the first move.

"Bee bee!" the Electric Pokemon cried out, jumping into the air and raising its arms, shining golden stars firing out from them towards Grotle. Clemont and his grass type were surprised, Grotle stumbling backwards from the attack, shaking his head. _Clever,_ Clemont thought, smiling. _He knows his electric attacks won't do too much damage._

Clemont was even more determined to win, now, thinking that this was his kind of Pokemon. "Grotle, hit him with Razor Leaf!"

"Grotle!" the Grove Pokemon shouted, sending the razor sharp leaves spinning towards Elekid, the electric type jumping back and sending out Swift once more to block them. The attacks clashed between them, mini explosions occurring as they did so. Clemont knew they needed to do better than that, though, and quickly ordered his next attack.

"Fire a Leech Seed!"

As Grotle aimed towards Elekid, narrowing his eyes, the Electric Pokemon seemed to know he would be in trouble if that attack hit, quickly jumping up and over the flying seed that sped towards him. However, it was just what Clemont was waiting for.

"Bite!"

"Groootttllleee!" Grotle cried out, jumping up and grabbing onto Elekid as he began to drop back down to the ground. The electric type looked surprised, wincing as Grotle bit him, but it wasn't over just yet.

"Now, use Mega Drain!" Clemont ordered, hearing Bonnie cheer as they trapped Elekid.

Grotle didn't fail him, a green glow around his and Elekid's bodies as he began to sap the opposing Pokemon's energy. Elekid cried out, trying to struggle free, but it was no use, Grotle holding him tight with Bite, while taking more and more energy by the second. He still had one last ditch effort in him, though, and he pulled it out.

"Bee bee!"

"Grawww!"

Grotle's mouth opened immediately as Elekid kicked out, knocking the grass type's head aside with a Low Kick. The Electric Pokemon had another move ready, though, electricity surrounding his body before he unleashed it, jumping onto Grotle's back. The Thunderbolt brought Grotle to his knees, and Clemont winced, knowing he needed to act quickly or Elekid was going to take over.

His eyes lit up as an idea came to him, and he glanced back to Korrina and Bonnie, smiling to let the worried girls know he had a plan. When he looked back to the battle, he called out his next order. "Grotle, Razor Leaf straight up!"

"Grotle!" The Grove Pokemon did exactly what he needed to, bracing himself and then firing a barrage of leaves upwards, forcing Elekid to leap up and off of him. Clemont was quick to follow up the order, though, knowing he had Elekid right where he wanted him.

"Leech Seed!"

"Bee bee?"

The seed fired up, striking Elekid in the chest and immediately covering him in vines. He dropped to the ground in front of Grotle, and Clemont could see the green glow that signalled his energy being sapped. He just needed one last attack.

"Grotle, finish this with Mega Drain!"

"Grotle!"

With both Leech Seed and Mega Drain taking his energy, Elekid didn't have it in him to struggle free. As Grotle's body glowed green, the Grove Pokemon standing straighter as he absorbed more energy, it was clear that Clemont had earned the victory. "Pokeball go!" he shouted, tossing the capture device forward as Grotle stepped back, stopping his attack.

Clemont watched in nervous anticipation as the pokeball hit Elekid, opening up and pulling him inside. As soon as it closed, it began to shake. Once, twice and then a third time. Clemont was almost sure it was about to open when it finally stood still and dinged to signal the capture.

"All right!" he shouted, Korrina and Clemont cheering for him as he walked up to Grotle, congratulating him on his good battle. He then picked up the pokeball, smiling at it before clicking it open and calling out his newest Pokemon. After quickly freeing the tired electric type from the vines that still covered him, Clemont looked to him, and knelt in front of him. "Elekid, are you sure you want to come along with me?"

Elekid didn't hesitate, holding out a fist, and bumping it to Clemont's. He was now, a Lumiose Luxray.

* * *

"Astrid!" Serena smiled as she ran over to the girl, her friends following her over. "I'm so glad you came. Thanks for coming!"

"No problem," Astrid said, patting her Absol as she glanced over at Serena's. "When you asked me about training tips for your Absol, I couldn't resist the idea of coming over to see how it worked in person. Besides, I'm spending the break going around and battling anyways, so it's not out of my way at all." She then looked over to Dawn and Shauna, noticing their Pokemon were out as well. "You guys doing some training?"

Dawn nodded, picking up Piplup as he waddled over to her. "I was teaching these two about contest battling. Serena and I were just about to have a practice battle."

Astrid looked interested in that, looking to Serena once more. "How much battling has Absol done since you got him?"

"Serena and Absol made it to the semifinals in Professor Sycamore's tournament," Shauna chimed in, Serena blushing at the impressed look they all gave her. "It took Ash to finally beat them."

"That's the tournament where Professor Sycamore was giving a Key Stone to the winner, right?" Astrid asked, looking thoughtful.

Serena nodded. "Yeah, Ash ended up winning it. He's got a few Pokemon that might be able to mega evolve, so I'm sure he could put it to good use."

"Too bad you couldn't win in the end," Astrid said, lightly touching her earring that held her own Key Stone. "Might've been able to find an Absolite Mega Stone, and then you could've mega evolved Absol. I heard a rumour about one possibly being in Kalos, although it would be dangerous to try and get it."

Serena shrugged at that, not too worried about trying something as difficult as mega evolution right now, even if the idea was intriguing. She was sure that Ash would do well with the Key Stone he won. All she wanted to do was make sure she was training Absol to be at his best. "We'll worry about that some other time. We just want to get closer and grow stronger together."

Astrid nodded, although she didn't seem convinced that was enough. "Finding a Mega Stone would be an excellent way to do that. It's a journey that few people and their Pokemon can accomplish. It's how my Absol and I grew so close. You learn a lot about one another."

"How did you find yours, Astrid?" Dawn asked, sounding quite interested.

"I'd heard a rumour of different Absol acting strangely in the Hoenn region, near Victory Road on the way to Ever Grande City. We decided to check it out, and we had to climb a mountain, go through caves, and battle some really strong Pokemon. It was like we were being tested, and then eventually, we reached a stone at the end of a cave that was shaped like an Absol. The Absolite was right there. There were more Pokemon there, but they had stopped battling us by then, and we knew we had passed their test."

Serena laughed nervously, thinking that sounded much too tough for her. "I don't know if we're ready for something like that just yet."

"Don't be so sure, Serena," Astrid told her confidently. "You never know unless you try. We weren't sure until we'd done it, so you might be able to do it as well." She then looked to Dawn, eyes narrowing as she smiled. "Mind if I take over as Serena's opponent, Dawn? I'd like to see just how strong she is."

Dawn's eyes widened in surprise at that, and she looked to the equally surprised Serena. "Um...well...if it's okay with Serena."

"I..." Serena hesitated, looking back to Astrid who smirked, folding her arms as she waited for her answer. It wasn't Serena who answered, though.

"Sol!" She looked down to her left, seeing Absol at her side and looking ahead challengingly, tensed up as his eyes met the opposing Absol's. "Absol!"

Serena couldn't help but smile at that, looking to Astrid as a breeze blew across the field, their hair blowing in the wind like it was some kind of movie. "You're on!"

Shauna and Dawn seemed surprised Serena was accepting the challenge, but as they noticed her and Absol exchanging a determined look, they gave her words of encouragement before she and Astrid put some distance between themselves for the battle. Dawn decided to step up to the sidelines to be the referee, while Shauna and the rest of the Pokemon stood back to give some space.

"So a one on one battle?" Astrid called out as the two trainers got into position, each with their Absol in front of them. "Your Absol against mine?"

"Sounds good," Serena answered, taking a deep breath as she looked to Absol, the Disaster Pokemon nodding back to her. She hoped he was capable of battling such a strong opponent, even if he'd done well in his battles so far. Her own abilities were going to be put to the test as well, though, and she knew she had to be sharp for both of them.

"All right then, whenever you're ready," Astrid told her, clenching her fists as she readied herself for the battle.

Serena nodded, taking a moment before beginning the battle. "Absol, Dark Pulse!"

"Counter with your own!" Astrid shouted immediately, the two Disaster Pokemon unleashing their jets of purple and black energy. They clashed in the middle of the field, exploding on impact and shooting dust and smoke out around them, causing Dawn, Shauna and the Pokemon to back up quickly, coughing.

 _Not a bad start,_ Serena told herself, glad that Absol's attack hadn't been completely overwhelmed, although she did notice that Astrid's was clearly a little stronger, pushing Serena's a little further back with its attack. "Okay, use Double Edge!"

"Psycho Cut!"

Once more, Serena's Absol started the attack, rushing forward as a white aura surrounded his body. A moment later, however, Astrid's Absol's horn was glowing pink and a pink crescent-shaped attack went flying forward, aimed right at Serena's Absol's feet. "Sol!" he cried out in surprise, the attack breaking some of the ground underneath him and sending him stumbling forward. That seemed to be the opening Astrid needed.

"Megahorn!"

"Absol!" Astrid's Pokemon cried out, horn now glowing green as he charged, eyes narrowed as he focused on his opponent.

Serena knew she needed a quick counter, and did her best to think as quickly as Ash, her eyes lighting up as an idea quickly came to mind. "Detect!" She felt proud as she noticed the look of surprise on Astrid's face, Absol's eyes flashing as he ducked out of the way of the Megahorn, leaving Astrid's Absol open to an attack. "Dark Pulse!"

"Sol!"

"Quick, Megahorn! One more time!" Astrid ordered, the dark energy forming in Absol's jaws. Her own quickly responded, though, his horn green once more and he slashed it down, blocking the swirling black and purple attack as it rushed towards him from close range. Serena's eyes widened, seeing they were trapped as the attack continued, expanding as it clashed with Megahorn.

 _Boom!_

The Dark Pulse exploded at close range, sending both Pokemon flying backwards, each sliding along the ground towards their trainers. However, Serena could see Astrid's was in better shape, more used to attacks like that. She wouldn't give up, though, knowing that she still had some tricks up her sleeve, and that Absol was determined to win.

"Double Edge, and be ready for a counter attack!" Serena ordered, knowing they needed to be careful of Astrid trapping them again.

Astrid didn't seem to be thinking that way this time, though, ready to have their Pokemon clash head on. "Megahorn!"

"SOL!" the two Disaster Pokemon cried out, tensing up before taking off towards one another. Serena's Absol charged ahead with everything he had, a white aura over his body once more, while Astrid's sped forward at the same pace, its horn glowing green. They clashed again, and strained against one another, before Astrid's gave one hard push and sent Serena's stumbling hard into the ground.

"Shadow Claw, go!" Astrid ordered quickly, her Absol immediately turning towards Serena's its claw covered in shadows as it slashed down.

"Sol!"

Serena winced, seeing her Absol cry out as it was sent flying once more. She knew there was no counterattack to be made, Astrid's Absol already moving to finish the match. "Dark Pulse!" came Astrid's command as her Absol rushed forward, its mouth opening to send the purple and black jet of energy out towards its opponent. A moment later, Serena's Absol hit the ground, and Dawn's call was easy to make.

"Serena's Absol is unable to battle. Astrid and her Absol are the winners!" the Coordinator shouted, before rushing over with Serena to check on the Disaster Pokemon.

"Absol, are you okay?" Serena cried out, kneeling next to him as he slowly lifted his head up. She was relieved as he gave her a small smile and nodded. "You fought really well. That was a really tough opponent and you gave it everything you had."

"That's for sure!"

Serena looked up at those words, seeing Astrid and her Absol approaching, the two of them looking impressed with their opponents. "You guys are an awesome team. Serena, I bet you could do pretty well in a Pokemon League. That Detect move was really clever. I could see the performance training as well. Absol moves really smoothly."

"You think so?" Serena asked, feeling somewhat proud of that as she looked to Absol. "I guess we've been working pretty hard since Absol recovered."

"I think you two have a lot of potential." Astrid absentmindedly touched her Key Stone earring once more, looking to Serena's Absol. "I think you should look into the rumour I mentioned. It might be good for you two."

"You mean...?" Shauna started to ask, looking both excited and afraid as she and Serena met eyes.

"The Absolite," Astrid answered, nodding. "I think it might be in Kiloude City."

 _Kiloude City,_ Serena thought, wondering if it was worth it. It would be a lot of work, but maybe it would be a good way to bond more with Absol. If her friends could help her, she was sure she could find it. She remembered the beauty of Astrid's Mega Absol, and couldn't help but imagine her own looking like that, their hearts connected to bring out the transformation. _Mega Absol..._

 **Author's Note:**

First off, I just need to point out that I got so caught up in writing the dance that I didn't bring up Astrid offering to help Serena. I apologize...that made the first part kind of awkward here. Hopefully the rest of that worked out well enough, though, and now Serena has an interesting and exciting task ahead. I wonder what it may lead to...

And as for Clemont...he's now got an Elekid! I thought it would be a good fit for him, and he's helped out Korrina enough, so I think it's time he moved on. And he's got some more battling to do in the future anyways, so we'll see how that all goes. Hope you like the add.

Anyways, next chapter we have Ash going to Alola, and I know some of you are looking forward to that, so hop on the hype train! And for those who are readers of the Bonnie adventure story, that'll be out in the next couple days or so. Bonnie's first gym battle! Lots to look forward to I hope. See you all in the next one.


	3. Alola!

**Author's Note:**

Dinosaurs roamed the earth the last time a chapter was published. I apologize...again. Seems like I do that a lot. I'll be honest, though. I've really come to dread writing Lumiose University whenever it comes to writing it. It seems like it takes hours just to get a paragraph done. It's a variety of things, but as it's gone on, it's just been harder and harder to write. I'm not one to give up, though, just as our favourite protagonist wouldn't. That's why...I'm making a final push to get this damn story done. There are approximately 32 chapters left (might add one, might remove one, so not sure exactly). I'm writing, writing and writing some more. I want to finish this damn story, and I think I can do it, but the longer it drags, the worse the results will be. I'm aiming to finish 2 to 3 each week (a few – 6 – are done already) and then at some point I'll publish a bunch. I won't be publishing over the next month and a bit, but after that, LU should be getting a bunch of updates if everything's gone as planned. I'm gonna do this...

Anyway, I love you all for reading, and I'm gonna do my best to make this enjoyable for everyone. We might as well get to the actual story. Last couple of chapters involved Ash setting off for Alola after a battle with Kukui, and before this we had Serena's chapter where she battled Astrid and heard a rumour about a Mega Stone. Ugh...I barely remember this stuff. Anyway, this chapter is all Ash arriving in Alola so...an appropriate title I guess. Hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 3: Alola!**

The first thing that Ash noticed about Alola were the beaches. His face was pressed up against the window of the plane, eagerly watching as the new region appeared below him. As the plane descended, he could see more and more, and he could barely contain his excitement. He could hear Professor Oak and his cousin discussing some possibilities about the differing Pokemon as they too looked out, but Ash was simply interested in spotting the first of the many different Pokemon that would likely be here.

"We are now descending towards Hau'oli City," the voice of the pilot spoke out through the plane. "Please fasten your seat belts and put your seats in the upright position. We thank you for flying Pidgeot Airlines and hope you enjoy your stay in the lovely Alola region, where we appear to have clear and sunny skies for everyone to have a great day at the beach!"

Ash was so excited listening to the announcement that his mother and Pikachu had to shake him a few times to get him to clip on his seat belt. Then, as the plane approached the island, Ash leaned close to the window again, seeing the rows of houses along the beach, and the people surfing the waves, along with the many shops and cafes along the streets. It was similar to some of the coastal places in the Hoenn region and around the Orange Islands, but Ash could sense something special about Alola. Feeling Greninja's pokeball shake from his belt, he was sure the Ninja Pokemon could sense it too.

When the plane landed, taking forever in Ash's mind to come to a stop and allow for disembarkation, the passengers all got up quickly, collecting their bags and other personal belongings. Ash was shaking with excitement as he and the others moved towards the exit. As they exited, he embraced the feeling of the hot Alolan sun and the cool breeze from the ocean, hearing a couple of Wingull calling out from the air.

"This place is awesome!" Ash said, as Professor Kukui and Samson Oak led the way through the airport.

"All you've seen is the airport, Ash!" Professor Oak said, laughing as Ash stared wide-eyed at a poster for some kind of battle event called "Battle Royal" with a masked man and an Incineroar flexing their muscles on it in the centre of a ring.

"And it's an awesome airport!" Ash yelled back as he ran forward to have a look around, seeing a few people walking around with Pokemon that were completely new to him. He saw what he knew to be a Litten with an older woman, and some kind of small pink and black bear-like Pokemon in someone's arms, and the further he went, the more excited he got as he saw even more. "Isn't this great, Pikachu and Riolu?" he said, looking up to the Pokemon on his shoulders.

"Pika!"

"Ruru!"

Ash barely paid any attention to Kukui and Samson as they led they way through the airport, except for when they called for him to follow along. He was fascinated by all of the different Pokemon and some of the different posters around. He couldn't wait to get into some battles, as he was sure there were some new and powerful Pokemon around that he could get stronger against.

When they finally made it out of the airport, the sun hitting them immediately and reminding them that they were no longer in Kanto, Ash breathed in the fresh ocean air. He was about to take off again when Kukui held an arm out to keep him from going. Ash was confused for a moment, before Kukui pointed ahead to where Ash could see Hala up ahead, waving for them. There was some kind of brown dog-like Pokemon next to him, with blue eyes and what appeared to be stones in his white neck fur. As soon as it saw Kukui it took off towards their group.

"Ruff! Rockruff ruff!" it barked out, jumping up into Kukui's arms as it reached them, licking his face happily.

"Haha, hey there Rockruff!" Kukui laughed out, petting the Pokemon before gently placing him on the ground, its tail wagging rapidly. "Ash, Professor Oak and Delia, I'd like you to meet my pal Rockruff!" Kukui then said, the Pokemon looking up to them, eyes settling on Ash before jumping up at him excitedly.

Ash laughed, kneeling down and petting the enthusiastic Pokemon, before pulling out his PokeDex as it went over to greet Oak and Delia. A moment later, the PokeDex gave him the details. "Rockruff, the Puppy Pokemon. As they develop, their disposition grows more violent and aggressive. Many trainers find them too much to handle and abandon them."

"Huh?" Ash didn't like the sound of that, looking to Kukui for confirmation.

"Unfortunately it does sometimes happen," the Alolan researcher admitted, looking sadly towards Hala as he approached them. "A lot of beginner trainers actually get them, but once they get stronger, Rockruff are tougher to handle and those trainers can't quite handle it. This little guy has stayed pretty friendly, though, and just seems to stick around the school."

"They sound like they can get pretty strong then," Ash said, eyes lighting up as he looked at Rockruff, who tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh they can get very strong," Hala's voice broke in, catching up to Rockruff and shaking Kukui's hand before smiling to Ash as Professor Oak and Delia quickly introduced themselves. "You see, Rockruff become more aggressive as they grow stronger, because they begin to develop much fiercer battling instincts that come with their evolution into Lycanroc. It's one of the strongest Pokemon in the whole region. Only strong trainers can handle raising one."

Ash was shaking with excitement upon hearing that. He knew Hala wasn't trying to scare him away from looking for any more Rockruff, and when Hala laughed at his excited look, Ash knew he'd reacted exactly the way the Alolan teacher had expected. "I'd love to try and train one. Do you know where I can find a Rockruff?"

"How about we show you around a bit first?" Kukui suggested, chuckling as Ash started glancing around hopefully. "You'll have plenty of time to see some of our Pokemon."

"And to train with and against them if you wish," Hala added, smirking. "I know someone at the school who's eager to see what you've got, Ash."

Ash smirked back before looking up at Pikachu and Riolu, already feeling the itch to battle. "I'm ready for whoever wants to battle. Are they strong?"

"Well, I certainly hope so. He's registering to join the school, and I've tried to help him along his journey this far in his career. He's certainly got potential!" Ash wasn't sure what to make of that, but decided to wait until he met this trainer to find out more. It seemed Hala knew him well, and that was sure to mean he had something interesting to offer.

"Just beat Ilima's Trial, didn't he?" Kukui asked, Ash turning to him in confusion. "Must've got himself a Z-Ring then?"

Hala smiled at the question, seeing Ash growing more interested. "We'll discuss that soon enough. But we should be on our way. They'll be expecting us soon."

Ash felt as though he was going to explode with excitement, but he took a deep breath and looked to Professor Oak and his mother as they picked up their bags to set off. "This place is awesome, isn't it?" he asked them, the group beginning to follow Hala as he headed down the street, pointing towards some of the more popular places and the Pokemon Centre. "I can't wait to see more..." He trailed off, eyes widening as he saw something up ahead, Hala having just noticed it as well, pausing by a trail that led into a big forest.

"Looks like a Grubbin has decided to greet-"

"Awesome! I've gotta try and catch it!" Ash yelled, abandoning the self control he'd been trying to execute moments earlier.

"Grub!"

Ash's sudden burst forward startled the Pokemon. It was quite small, with a white body and six small, stubby legs. It had two pincers coming from its brown face, a reddish orange and yellow covering over top of it. It started to flee immediately, and before Ash knew what was happening, he was leaving his companions behind. He could hear Pikachu shouting out to him, while Riolu cheered, and then noticed Rockruff running alongside them. Ash started to feel bad, before noticing they were gaining on the Grubbin, and quickly forgot what he was thinking and picked up his pace.

"Grub!" the bug type quickly yelled out, reaching a fallen tree and burrowing underneath it. Ash quickly started to head over to it, before Rockruff grabbed onto his leg with his teeth.

"Ouch! Hey what was that for, Rockruff?" Ash asked, wincing as Rockruff let go, the Puppy Pokemon shaking his head and then whimpering as he gestured towards the tree Grubbin had disappeared under. Ash followed his gaze and immediately realized what had nearly happened. Two very threatening pincers were sticking out, ready to grab onto what would've been his face had he continued what he was doing. "Oh...," he said quietly, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Thanks, Rockruff."

"Ruff!" the rock type barked happily, wagging his tail.

Ash laughed nervously, feeling relieved now that he had realized he'd nearly been pinched by Grubbin's nasty pincers. He paused as he looked around, noticing Grubbin disappearing before a shadow passed over the spot the bug type had been a moment before. Ash tried to figure out what it had come from and looked up, but he squinted quickly as the sun filtering in through the trees got in his eyes.

"Pika?"

Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice something, however, and Ash blinked in surprise as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and scurried forward, pausing as he stood on a rock a few feet away, looking into the trees in the direction the shadow had headed. His cheeks were sparking a little, and Ash got the sense that he didn't even notice. "You okay, Pikachu?" he asked, glancing around and pursing his lips as he realized he'd lost his companions.

Before Pikachu could answer, Rockruff jumped over the fallen tree in front of them that Grubbin had disappeared under, his body tensing up as he sniffed the air. "Rrruff!" he barked out, sniffing again before locking eyes with Pikachu. The two of them nodded, before suddenly taking off. All Ash could do was exchange a quick confused glance with Riolu before setting off after them.

It would've been nearly impossible to keep up with Pikachu and Rockruff if they had gone full speed as they trailed after whatever it was that they were following, but they continuously stopped, with Pikachu apparently sensing some kind of electrical energy, while Rockruff sniffed the air. _They're tracking something,_ Ash realized, wondering what on earth it could be. Unfortunately, it didn't appear as though he was going to find out, watching as the two Pokemon came to a stop in a clearing up ahead, looking lost about where to go next.

Ash was about to say something as he reached them, before suddenly hearing something up above, seeing another shadow darting away through the trees. "Kokokoko," something seemed to call out, almost sounding like it was laughing. A little spark shot out from the trees a moment later, and Ash noticed Pikachu perking up at that, tilting his head curiously.

"Must've been some kind of electric Pokemon," Ash realized, smiling as he stared up at where the Pokemon seemed to have disappeared. He was anxious to find out what it was, and discover even more Pokemon if he could. He was about to call out to Pikachu so they could set off after it, when he heard the bushes rustling behind him and saw that Kukui, Hala, both Professors Oak and Delia were there, the Kanto natives breathing a little heavier than the Alolans.

"Ash, what do you think you're doing?!" Delia scolded, shaking her head in exasperation as she looked him over. He realized he was covered in leaves and had dirt all over his clothes from his little excursion. "It was very rude to run off like that."

"Uhh..." He smiled sheepishly, looking at Hala and Kukui. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just got excited by that new Pokemon, and then I saw some kind of electric type flying away through here." The two of them didn't look bothered, but raised their eyebrows at the mention of the electric type.

"No worries, cousin," Kukui said, chuckling as he pointed ahead, past the clearing. "You found your way to the right place anyways."

Ash turned around in surprise at that, squinting as he looked through the trees, noticing a field and what looked like a group of buildings in the distance. The group walked forward together, and as they emerged, Ash could see that it wasn't quite like Lumiose City and their school, with these buildings appearing less city-like and more old-fashioned in some places. In others it almost seemed like a beach resort. Quite a few students were out and about, lots of unfamiliar Pokemon with them. Ash could even see a few of them battling on some practice fields out front of the school. He grinned as he realized the large field they were in front of must've been for bigger battles.

"So, what do you think, Ash?" Hala asked, turning to look at him, clearly eager to see what the young trainer thought of Melemele University. "Not as flashy as Lumiose, I suppose, but I think it has its own charm, don't you?"

"I think it's awesome!" Ash answered, pumping his fist in excitement, exchanging an excited look with Pikachu after both of them stared at the students practicing their battle skills. "You guys already started classes?" he asked, realizing it was pretty crowded. He'd thought Melemele University would've still been on break like Lumiose.

"Not quite yet," Hala answered, waving quickly as a man with pink hair and what looked like a student with green hair that somewhat resembled Hala began approaching them. "Our students do often come back from break early, however, as they enjoy the extra battle practice and often have access to observe a Trial or two."

"Trial? What's tha-"

Ash was interrupted as the pink-haired man and the student reached them. He did a quick double take looking at the younger trainer, wondering if it was his old rival Sawyer for a moment. However, this guy was way too jumpy to be Sawyer, a huge smile on his face as he greeted everyone and looked up at Hala.

"Tutu, guess what?!" the trainer yelled happily. "I'm all registered! I get to start up as soon as the semester starts. Ilima got everything all sorted out and I should be able to get caught up by next year!"

"That's great, Hau," Hala said with a laugh, looking to the man, who must've been Ilima. "Thank you for your help, Ilima. I would've got Hau all sorted out, but I needed to meet with our guests here."

"Not to worry," Ilima said, bowing slightly, before adjusting the collar of his shirt and then checking a folder he was carrying. He seemed very...professional. "Everything seems sorted out, and given Hau's performance in my trial, I'd say he's more than ready to start out." He then looked to Ash and the others, nodding to Kukui and Samson before greeting them. "It's very nice to meet you all. I'm a huge fan of your work, Professor Oak. I'm sure I only graduated here years ago because of my fascination with your studies."

Ash smiled, noticing Professor Oak looking a little surprised by the praise, even though he often was praised for his work. "Well, I do my best. I'm glad it was of use to you, Mr...Ilima is it?"

"Yes, and you are...?" Ilima looked towards Delia, holding out a hand.

"Delia," she answered, smiling and shaking his hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine," Ilima said, smiling before looking to Ash. "And the runner up of the Kalos League, Ash Ketchum. I'm well aware of who you are," he chuckled, shaking Ash's hand as well.

"Runner up in Kalos? Tutu, you never mentioned that!" the green-haired trainer, who Ash remembered had been referred to as Hau, suddenly shouted out. He quickly reached out to shake Ash's hand. "I knew you were supposed to be really strong, but you nearly won a Pokemon League?!" he said excitedly, looking at Ash in awe.

"Haha...yeah," Ash answered, looking uneasily to the others, who were all suppressing their amusement. "Sounds like you're pretty strong, too, though, from what Hala says," he added, straightening up as he remembered what Hala and Ilima had mentioned about something called Trials. "What's a Trial?" he decided to ask.

"Oh that's something we do here in Alola for trainers to grow closer to their Pokemon," Kukui answered, giving a knowing look to Hala and Ilima. "I guess you could say it's our version of gym battles, although it is very different. We have different Trials throughout our four islands and a Trial Captain runs each of them. They test different aspects of a trainer's ability and if they pass all the Trials on one island, they can battle the Island Kahuna in a Grand Trial. Hala here, is a Kahuna and Ilima is a Captain."

"I did Ilima's Trial recently," Hau said proudly, looking quite pleased. "I had to-"

"Hey hey hey," Ilima interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Hau. "No spoiling my Trial, now."

"Right...sorry," Hau laughed, looking embarrassed. "Anyway, Ash, since you're supposed to be so strong, how about you and I have a battle? We can see how your Pokemon match up against the power of Alola!" He held up a fist, and Ash recognized what must've been a Z-Ring on his wrist.

"It might do you both some good to see what the other's got," Hala said, looking excited. "We could see how some of your battling techniques could be worked with to examine Greninja a little more, Ash. Although, if you don't mind, I'd like to see you use some of your other Pokemon."

"Sure thing!" Ash answered happily, looking up at both Pikachu and Riolu. "You guys ready?"

"Pika!"

"Ruru!"

Before Ash knew it, he was standing across from Hau, the two of them facing off across the big battlefield in front of the school, Hala between them as referee. Many of the students that had been around doing their own thing appeared quite interested, and a fairly large crowd was gathering. Ash could see Ilima and Samson greeting a group that included a shirtless dark-skinned guy with red shorts and spiky black and red hair that almost looked like fire, along with a shorter student that was a little chubby with orange hair and a shirt with a video game device on it. Their eyes went to Ash, and he suddenly felt a new rush of excitement. There was nothing like battling in a new place.

"Ready to battle, Ash?" Hau suddenly called out, a pokeball already in his hand.

"Ready when you are!" Ash answered, hand going to his belt.

Hala got the message, smiling at both trainers with excitement before raising a flag. "This will be a three on three battle between Hau of Melemele University, and Ash of Lumiose University. The winner will be declared when the other trainer loses all three of their Pokemon. Are you both ready?" Both Ash and Hau nodded, raising their arms and preparing to send out their Pokemon. "Then let the battle begin!"

"Komala, come on out!"

"Dartrix, I choose you!"

As both Pokemon emerged, Ash could hear some surprised murmurs from the Melemele students that he already had an Alolan Pokemon, but he was more curious about Hau's, quickly pulling out his PokeDex and scanning the strange, sleepy-looking koala bear Pokemon. "Komala, the Drowsing Pokemon. Since its ability is Comatose, Komala is always sleeping. The log it clings to is a gift from its early days. It is said that Komala's behaviour is from a dream it is having." Ash raised an eyebrow at the description, wondering just what he was up against. He had an idea that he was going to need to be careful of the log Komala was clutching, and knew that Dartrix's Ominous Wind would be ineffective. He wanted a challenge, though, and perhaps this was setting up to be a good one.

"Komala, use Stockpile!" Hau called out, the Drowsing Pokemon curling up tighter against his log, yawning loudly and taking a deep breath as he glowed briefly with his increased defensive strength.

Ash wasn't going to sit back and let Hau strengthen his defence too much, though. "Dartrix, get in there with Leaf Blade!" he shouted, his flying and grass type hooting in delight before shooting forward, his wing glowing green. Hau could only gasp in surprise at the speed of the attack, watching as Komala, despite its increased defensive strength, was sent spiraling into the air.

"Komala!" Hau shouted out, his sleeping Pokemon wincing, possibly feeling the pain even in its dreams. "Use Wood Hammer!" he called out quickly, watching as Komala started falling back towards the ground. Its log began to glow green, just as Dartrix's wing did, but Ash wasn't worried.

"Dartrix, strike back with a full power Peck attack!" Ash quickly ordered, pumping his fist as Dartrix flapped his wings.

"Daroooo!" the Blade Quill Pokemon cried out, picking up speed quickly, heading straight up to meet Komala's attack head on. The order had surprised the gathered crowd, loud gasps coming from many of them, but Ash knew his Pokemon, and he could handle it. "Kooo!"

Komala's log never hit, Dartrix, spinning swiftly to avoid the Wood Hammer attack. Meanwhile, his glowing beak glowed with all the power he could muster, and he struck hard into the opposing Pokemon's centre. Komala cried out, eyes briefly opening from the strength of the attack. When it fell to the ground, it was in an even deeper sleep.

"Komala is unable to battle!" Hala announced, the gathered students applauding the decisive victory. "Dartrix is the winner!"

"No way!" Hau called out in shock, chuckling as he recalled Komala to its pokeball and Ash did the same with Dartrix. "I didn't know you were _this_ good, Ash. Komala's never been beaten like that before."

Ash smiled, feeling a little uneasy from the impressed looks he was getting. "It was Dartrix who did all the work. It's easy to work with him."

"Well let's see if you're as good with your other Pokemon," Hau said challengingly, throwing out his next pokeball. "Raichu, let's go!"

Ash was a little disappointed when he heard Hau calling out the name of his next Pokemon, hoping for an Alolan Pokemon, but he quickly realized there was no need for that. This was clearly no ordinary Raichu. It appeared to be floating in midair, its tail almost like a surfboard. Its features were much rounder than its Kanto counterpart, and colouring much lighter. Most notable to Ash, though, were its eyes, looking almost like blue crystals, seeing more than what was there.

"That is an Alolan Raichu," Hala explained from the sidelines. "Here, when a Pikachu is exposed to a Thunder Stone, they will gain psychic type powers, and this is the result."

Ash and Pikachu exchanged an excited glance at that, knowing that this was a pretty special opponent, and that there was really only one Pokemon Ash could use against it. "You're up, buddy," he said, holding his arm out as Pikachu ran along it, leaping into the air and landing softly a few feet in front of him.

Both trainers ordered their first attack at the same moment. "Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!"

"Raiii!"

Electricity exploded upwards at the centre of the battlefield as both Pokemon unleashed their attacks. Ash could see a few people stumble, including Hau and Hala, along with Hau's Raichu staggering back. Pikachu remained steady, however, and Ash immediately ordered their next attack. "Go, Pikachu! Quick Attack!"

Pikachu was off like a bullet, reaching Raichu before his evolved counterpart could fully right himself. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out, driving his body hard into Raichu's chest, causing the larger Pokemon's eyes to widen in pain and surprise. Ash didn't stop their, quickly calling for an Iron Tail, knowing they needed to stay on the offensive, just like Dartrix had against Komala. "Chupi!"

"Rai!" Raichu hit the ground with a loud thud, but fortunately for Hau, it had a little more stamina than Komala, managing to get up quickly, despite the exhaustion it was starting to feel.

"Raichu, fight back with Psychic!" Hau ordered, catching Ash by surprise with the command.

 _Right...electric_ and _psychic type,_ he remembered, gritting his teeth as Raichu flung its tail forward and struck Pikachu with a blue wave of psychic energy, sending his partner Pokemon flying, before he fell hard to the ground. Pikachu was tough, though, quickly righting himself, his cheeks sparking as he tensed his body, ready to attack as soon as his next order came. Ash smiled, quickly coming up with a plan.

"Pikachu, use Electro-Ball!" he shouted, smirking as he saw Hau narrowing his eyes.

Pikachu glanced back, twitching his ears as Ash nodded, the two of them ready to act as one. He charged forward, Raichu ready to counter when Hau needed him to. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika," Pikachu chanted out, running and then leaping into the air, his tail glowing as a sphere of electricity formed at its tip. "CHUPI!"

As the electrical sphere was sent flying towards Raichu, Hau was ready with his order. "Block it with Psychic!"

"Rai!" Raichu answered, floating up as a blue aura surrounded him. Just as the Electro-Ball was about to hit, a blue wave of energy rushed forth to meet it. The attacks strained against one another, blue and yellow sparks shooting outwards as Raichu tried to force Pikachu's attack back. It was just the opening Ash needed.

"Now, Quick Attack to get around him, and use another Electro-Ball!" Ash commanded, sweeping his hand out in front of him, knowing he had Hau and Raichu just where he wanted them. The crowd started murmuring in excitement as Pikachu took off, and Ash could see Kukui and Hala exchanging a glance, admiring the connection between Ash and Pikachu as they complimented one another flawlessly.

"CHUPI!" Pikachu yelled out as he skidded to a halt behind Raichu and hopped up into the air behind him, his Electro-Ball immediately shooting down.

Ash pumped his fist as the attack struck a startled Raichu, the blast breaking his control in fighting against the original Electro-Ball. The electric and psychic type cried out as it stumbled forward, another explosion rocking the field as he was sent flying backwards. Pikachu's eyes met Ash's, and he smiled as Hala made the call, the crowd murmuring once more.

"Raichu is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" As Hau called back his Raichu, looking stunned by the second defeat, Pikachu returned to Ash's side, a spring in his step from his impressive win.

"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash told him, pulling out Hawlucha's pokeball. "I knew you could do it!"

"You and your Pikachu are an awesome team!" Hau called out to Ash, looking over to Hala as he did so. "Tutu, weren't they amazing?!"

Hala nodded, turning to some of the students in the crowd, apparently taking this as a teaching opportunity. "Ash and Pikachu fight as one, never wavering in their trust and support in one another. For those of you who wish to take the Trials, _that_ is the kind of bond you will need to have with your Pokemon"

Ash was a little uneasy at the awed stares he was getting, but he was grateful for acknowledgment of the bond he had with Pikachu. He was curious about these Trials, though, wondering why Hala had mentioned such a close bond would be necessary. Then his eyes were drawn back to Hau, who was smiling to himself, fiddling with his Z-Ring. _That's it..._

"All right then, let's see how you can match up with one of my favourite Pokemon, Ash!" Hau challenged, smirking as he brought up his third pokeball. "Crabrawler, let's go!"

As a purple crab-like Pokemon emerged, its angry eyes looking for a fight as it held up its blue pincers like fists, Ash heard Hala call out excitedly. "Ah, you got yourself a Crabrawler!"

Hau looked pleased as he responded. "Yeah, he's pretty new so this will be pretty tough for him, but I want him to know what a strong trainer like Ash can battle like, so we're going to give it our best shot!"

Ash was surprised to hear that this Crabrawler was a new addition to Hau's team, but it made him reconsider his next choice. He glanced at Pikachu, who nodded, smiling as though he knew what Ash was thinking. Ash clicked Hawlucha's pokeball open, calling out his fighting type next to him.

"Lucha?" Hawlucha asked, looking surprised that he was out on the field, facing off for battle.

"Hawlucha," Ash said, kneeling down in front of the Wrestling Pokemon, "how do you feel about letting Riolu take this one?"

Ash knew that Hawlucha, when given the chance, would almost never give up the chance to fight. However, there were a couple of exceptions. Helping out Noivern would be one, and now Riolu would be the other. He looked pleased by the idea, looking carefully at Riolu as Ash placed him down from his shoulder. Riolu, however, looked nervous.

"Ruru..." Riolu murmured, looking over at the eager to fight Crawbrawler.

"Lucha!" Hawlucha encouraged, holding up a fist and pretending to hit something with it. "Lucha lucha!"

"Hawlucha's right, Riolu," Ash said, grinning confidently. "You can do this! Think how happy Serena will be when we tell her you won this big battle!"

It took a moment, but after a deep breath, and an encouraging nod from both Pikachu and Hawlucha, Riolu stepped forward, little fists clenched at his sides. "Ruru," he squeaked out, nodding to Ash as he continued to make his way forward, ready for his first real battle to start.

"We'll both use a new Pokemon, Hau!" Ash called out to his opponent. "Riolu wants to be just as strong as my Hawlucha, so he needs a good training partner. Is Crabrawler a good match?"

"You bet he is!" Hau answered excitedly, making a fist and jumping up. "Riolu's gonna need to be careful, though. Crabrawler might be new, but he's really strong."

 _So is Riolu,_ Ash thought, smiling as both Pokemon readied themselves, the third battle about to begin. When Hala made the call to start, Ash decided to get Riolu's nerves out of the way and call the first attack immediately. "Quick Attack!"

"Cra-" Crabrawler's eyes bulged as its call was interrupted, Riolu having darted forward as fast as he could, slamming his whole body into the opposing Pokemon's chest. The speed of the attack shocked Hau and the crowd, but Ash was surprised as well, thinking to himself that one day Riolu could possibly be as fast as Pikachu with speed like that.

Hau was not going to let the battle turn in Ash's favour that quickly, however, immediately ordering Crabrawler's counter. "Quick, Crabrawler use Bubble!"

"Brawww!" Crabrawler cried out, unleashing a stream of bubbles that pummeled Riolu's chest, knocking him back. He kept his balance, however, and Ash immediately ordered another Quick Attack. Just as Crabrawler's Bubble attack was ending, Riolu was barreling into him once more, sending him sprawling backwards.

"Hit him with Rock Smash!" Hau shouted, a hint of panic in his voice, knowing Riolu's speed had him at a disadvantage. Ash knew that Crabrawler likely had the advantage with brute strength, and that keeping the battle in close would be dangerous due to that, but Riolu's speed was making it their own strength, and Ash knew he could handle it.

"Use Endure!"

"Ru!" The Emanation Pokemon quickly brought up his arms, holding them up firmly as Crabrawler got up and brought a fist flying out towards the smaller fighting type. Ash could see his young Pokemon wince, but he held strong, Crabrawler's fist only moving him a few inches.

"Now, use a Focus Blast in close!"

As Riolu formed the blast, letting go of Crabrawler's fist and ducking under it, Ash could see that he was pleased. As much as the small fighting type had struggled with this move, in this position it couldn't miss.. He formed the yellow sphere and before Hau could call for the stunned Crabrawler to get out of the way, it was hitting the Boxing Pokmeon just under its chin.

"Keep it up with another Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, watching as Crabrawler stumbled back, Hau clenching his fist in worry. The crowd was murmuring excitedly surprised by the power the two young Pokemon were showing.

"Ruuu!" The Emanation Pokemon burst forward, aiming his shoulder down as he rushed towards his opposing fighting type.

"Crabrawler, use Reversal!"

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, watching as Riolu successfully struck Crabrawler once again in the chest, but was immediately put in danger. Crabrawler grunted from the pain of the landed attack, but he acted on Hau's order quickly, grabbing Riolu with both pincers and flipping him over right away, slamming him hard into the ground. "Brawww!" the Boxing Pokemon cried out triumphantly, hopping back as Hau cheered him on.

"Now, hit him with another Bubble!"

Ash winced as Riolu struggled to get to his feet, only to be struck by another stream of bubbles. He cried out in pain as he stumbled back, the bubbles exploding in little sprays of water as he fell back. Hawlucha was quickly yelling out what Ash assumed was advice, the Wrestling Pokemon now clearly anxious as Riolu appeared to be losing the upper hand.

Ash, however, had gotten an idea.

"Riolu, are you okay to keep going?" he called out, the Emanation Pokemon shaking his head to get the water out of his eyes, before looking back to Ash and nodding. "All right, then let's do this! Use Focus Blast!"

Riolu looked a little surprised at the command, now that there was distance between him and Crabrawler, but after a quick look towards a nodding Hawlucha, he smiled, understanding. "Ruru!" he cried out, bending low and immediately starting to form the yellow sphere.

"Get ready, Crabrawler!" Hau called out, clearly worrying about the Focus Blast after its previous successful hit.

"Ruuu!" Riolu cried out, sending the attack flying out, Crabrawler and Hau each looking shocked by the force of it.

Unfortunately, it landed nowhere near Crabrawler, hitting the ground well off to the side, sending dust and smoke billowing into the air upon impact. The crowd found it amusing, many chuckling at the missed attack, while Hau quickly tried to take advantage.

"Bubble, now! Let's win thi-" He stared at where Riolu had been a moment before. "What...?"

"Now! Quick Attack!"

Just as he'd done in his acted out battle with Hawlucha for their performance with Serena, Riolu used his failed Focus Blast as the perfect distraction. With Crabrawler staring at the missed attack, Riolu was on him in an instant, once more slamming his body hard into the enemy fighting type. Ash knew what was next, too, already prepared with his next order as Hau called his excitedly.

"Rock Smash!"

"Endure!"

Once again, Crabrawler's fist was blocked, Riolu catching it above his head. Hau was quick to follow up, however, and Ash knew this would be where the battle would reach its conclusion. "Now use Reversal!'

"Craaab!"

As the Boxing Pokemon made its move, its pincers moving down to grab ahold of Riolu, Ash shouted out his next order, hearing Hawlucha cheering Riolu on loudly next to him. "Counter!"

Crabrawler didn't stand a chance. Just as it was taking hold of Riolu, the Emanation Pokemon glowed in a fierce blue light, whirling around quickly and sending a kick straight to the centre of the Boxing Pokemon's chest. Hau could only blink in surprise as Crabrawler went whipping past him, landing hard on the ground behind him. Ash was sure he was down and out.

"Br-br-brawww!" The crowd was just as surprised as Ash, but what made him react the most, was Hau raising his Z-Ring. _No way..._

"Now, this is our last chance, Crabrawler, let's use our Z-Move!" the Alolan shouted, raising his fists in the air, a bright, yellow aura surrounding him and Crabrawler. Crabrawler straightened up, quickly scurrying over to stand straight in front of Hau, raising his own fists, looking rejuvenated by whatever the aura was that was surrounding them. Hau suddenly started punching the air, just as Hala had done against Team Rocket at Professor Sycamore's tournament, and Ash remembered how powerful the attack that would follow would be. He quickly tried to think of a plan and set his mind to one, hoping it would be enough. "ALL OUT PUMMELLING!"

"BRAWWW!"

As Crabrawler relentlessly punched the air, his body engulfed in a bright, yellow light, glowing fists were suddenly flying forward. Ash could see Riolu tensed in fear, but he had faith in his fighting type, and knew he could get out of this. "Riolu, you can fight through this! Use that speed and get in there with Quick Attack!"

The order was a surprise to all those who didn't know Ash, but he could see Professor Oak in the crowd, laughing as Riolu started to dart forward. This was how he liked it. A head on battle against a strong opponent with a strong attack. They wouldn't back down.

"Ru! Ru! Ru!" Riolu panted as he ran, a white aura around his body as he darted in and out of the rushing fists that threatened to crush him. Ash had made the correct bet on his speed, though. Crabrawler's brute strength, even when boosted with a Z-Move, wasn't enough to match it. "RUUU!"

With one final charge, flipping over one last Z-Move powered fist, Riolu emerged in front of a stunned Crabrawler, the Boxing Pokemon panting from the effort of executing his attack. Ash knew he didn't stand a chance. Riolu drove his body into the opposing fighting type, sending him flying back. This time, he didn't get up.

"Crabrawler is unable to battle!" he shouted out, waving his hand to Ash and Riolu, the young fighter looking stunned by his victory. "Riolu is the winner, and the match goes to Ash!"

As the crowd cheered, Ash, Pikachu and Hawlucha rushed out to Riolu. Pikachu reached him first, giving the surprised fighting type a fist bump before Hawlucha embraced him, truly looking like a proud brother. Ash was pretty sure he even saw tears in the Wrestling Pokemon's eyes. And when Ash knelt down in front of Riolu, he didn't even need to say anything. Like Pikachu, he gave his young fighter a fist bump. Then, after a moment, Riolu cheered, jumping into his arms, the excitement finally all over his face. "Rururu!"

They had a few moments of celebration before Ash realized they were no longer alone. He stood up, laughing as Riolu hopped down to join Hawlucha in doing a victory pose, and then looked at those who had joined him. It was Professor Kukui, Hala, Hau and the two students Ash had seen near the front of the crowd earlier.

"That was a pretty awesome battle, Ash!" Hau said happily, not appearing the least bit disappointed by his loss. "You beat me pretty good, but I learned a lot from you. I bet we'll have an even better battle next time!"

"Yeah, for sure, Hau!" Ash told him, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment from the praise. "You've got some great Pokemon, Hau."

"It looked like it was quite the training opportunity for you both," Hala pointed out, raising an eyebrow in Ash's direction. "Even without using Greninja, I take it you've got a bit more of an understanding of what you can learn here."

Ash laughed, knowing Hala was right. He almost wondered if Hala had set this match up with Hau beforehand. He didn't mind if that was the case, though. He wanted to see just what he could get out of all of this, and he knew that if there were more answers to gain about Greninja, Z-Moves and anything else to do with his training, he had to take advantage of it.

"Think we can call Professor Sycamore and tell him I'm gonna be a bit late?"

 **Author's Note:**

Turned out to be a battle heavy chapter at the end...but Riolu getting a chance was needed. Originally Hawlucha was gonna get that fight, but I figured this actually suited the plans better. Heading back over to Kalos in the next chapter, though. Prepare for another gap, but this one won't be as long, and then things might even be reasonably consistent until the conclusion of the story.

Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time.

P.S. If you want a chapter of the Bonnie story, I can probably get one of those done between now and the next LU update. All you have to do is ask.


	4. Back to School

**Author's Note:**

And here we are with the always long awaited "next chapter" of Lumiose University! However, things change now. I've got quite a few backed up now, and the push to the end is now on. Lumiose University will be finished, and I want it to be finished in good time now. But we'll talk more about that after the chapter. So enjoy chapter 4, and I'll see you at the bottom.

 **Chapter 4: Back to School**

Lumiose City was obviously a pretty busy place to be, but Clemont usually didn't notice it that much, having spent nearly his whole life there. Even with much of his time spent in his gym and working on his various inventions, he just never thought much about the hustle and bustle of the city whenever he needed to head out. Today, however, he definitely noticed it.

"I can barely find my way to the school with all of these people running around!" Clemont complained, looking to Elekid, who was out of his pokeball, wanting to see the city now that he and Clemont were back from Shalour City. "I'll never get my schedule for this semester now."

"Bee bee?" Elekid asked, holding up a sparking fist as though offering to fight his way through to make a path for Clemont.

Clemont nervously chuckled at that, raising his hands and shaking his head to signal that fighting wouldn't be necessary. "Uhh...thanks Elekid, but we'll try just toughing it out first."

Elekid simply shrugged at that, and waited as Clemont looked up the road where he finally noticed a group of what appeared to be Lumiose University students. He sighed in relief and signalled to his newest Pokemon to follow, and the two of them made their way through the crowds to get to the building where he assumed people were registering and getting their second semester schedules. It looked like there were probably even more students, perhaps some having joined late with the school having gotten more notice.

When he walked through the doors of the building, this one being somewhat smaller than the registration building from the first semester, Clemont was happy to see some familiar faces among the crowd and the Lumiose Luxray colours on some of the signs. Before lining up, Clemont looked around, realizing that he was probably right in his assumption that there were many newer students in the crowd. There even seemed to be a group crowding around for their entrance exams, which would likely be taking place in another building. _I hope the Clembot trainers are working well_ , Clemont thought, smiling to himself, proud of the help he'd been able to give the school.

The Lumiose Gym Leader then entered the nearest line, happy to see it moving ahead fairly quickly, the students at the front that were finishing up running off with their new schedules. When he reached the front, he gave the man at the desk his name and list of classes he'd picked out in the original registration. The man quickly entered the information into his computer, and within a couple of minutes, Clemont was walking out of the registration building, looking over his new schedule excitedly.

 _Monday: 8:30am-9:50am – Evolution – Yuzo Konishi_

 _Monday : 1:00pm-2:20pm – Pokemon Physiology – Professor Ivy_

 _Tuesday: 10:00am-11:20am – Pokemon Nutrition – Suzie Yuki & Brock Harrisson_

 _Tuesday: 2:30pm-3:50pm – Types – Agatha Yurei_

 _Wednesday: 8:30am-9:50am – Evolution – Yuzo Konishi_

 _Wednesday: 1:00pm-2:20pm – Pokemon Physiology – Professor Ivy_

 _Thursday: 10:00am-11:20am – Pokemon Nutrition – Suzie Yuki & Brock Harrisson_

 _Thursday: 2:30pm-3:50pm – Types – Agatha Yurei_

 _Friday: 8:30am-11:20am – Movesets – Flint Hisaru_

"A class with Flint, Agatha and another with Yuzo!" Clemont exclaimed once he'd read it over, looking down to Elekid happily, the electric type appearing more interested in their surroundings. "This looks like it should be a pretty good semester!"

"Bee bee?" Elekid said, tilting his head as he looked up at his new trainer. He raised his fists after a moment, a couple of sparks coming from his horns. Clemont understood immediately.

"Don't worry," the inventor answered, chuckling as they began to walk down the busy street again, "there will be plenty of battling as well."

Elekid seemed pleased about that, nodding as though it would be that way because he wanted it to be. As they walked, Clemont watched his new Pokemon, thinking of how strange it was that he had such a battle-hungry Pokemon. Obviously he enjoyed battling, and wanted to become a better leader at his gym, but Elekid almost seemed more like a Pokemon that would be attracted to Ash. It was surprising that he'd wanted to join Clemont.

"Bee?"

Clemont looked up in surprise, stopping as Elekid peered up at him in confusion. "Oh...sorry, Elekid, just thinking." He looked around, noticing that they weren't that far from the training facilities, and a smile came to his face immediately. "Hey Elekid, how about I show you where we do most of our battle training? I bet we'll be spending a lot of time there!"

The electric type's eyes lit up at that, and he nodded immediately, allowing Clemont to lead the way before quickly following after him. Within a few minutes, fortunately making it through the most crowded parts of the city fairly quickly, Clemont and Elekid could see the training facilities up ahead. The sight of it brought another smile to Clemont's face, knowing that not only would Elekid enjoy it, but that he would soon be spending long hours with his friends here, getting ready for their IPL matches and worrying about their classes. As nice as the break had been, he'd missed his friends a lot.

He walked through the doors after chasing after Elekid to reach the building, panting with exhaustion despite the sprint being fairly short. After a quick recovery, though, he looked around, realizing he wasn't the only one to have had the idea of checking out the training facilities again. He watched as a few trainers headed into the area with the battlefields, and was about to follow, when he noticed someone in the lobby, looking around curiously.

He was young man, a few years older than Clemont and his friends, with darker skin and spiky brown hair. He wore a dark green shirt, covered by an orange and grey vest, with grey pants. His eyes almost seemed closed as he peered at a sign, which Clemont realized was for the IPL, showing a picture of their team. The man seemed to chuckle to himself as he looked at the sign, smiling until he noticed Clemont watching him, as though sensing it. He turned, giving a small wave, and Clemont decided to walk over and introduce himself.

"Hi there," the man greeted, as Clemont reached him, holding his hand out. "I'm Brock. A...uh...new guest lecturer here at Lumiose University."

Clemont shook his hand, smiling and nodding in realization. "Oh, welcome to the school then," he said, gesturing around with a nervous laugh. "I'm-"

"Clemont!" Brock interrupted, chuckling as he pointed to the sign, where Clemont's name was printed over his image. "I hear you're the Lumiose City Gym Leader?"

Clemont nodded, feeling a little embarrassed by the sign, and the impressed look Brock gave him. "Yeah, although I'm not really running my gym much lately. I've got Clembot, a robot I invented, doing most of my duties."

Brock raised an eyebrow at the mention of Clembot, but didn't press for more information. Clemont assumed he'd probably been told about the models used for testing here at the school. "I'm actually a gym leader as well," he then mentioned, revealing the inside of his vest, where a grey badge was. "The Pewter City Gym Leader in Kanto." He laughed. "I've got my brother and father watching over _my_ gym!"

Clemont laughed as well, appreciating that he wasn't the only one. He then paused, realizing something. "Kanto, huh? My friend Ash is from Kanto. He's from Pallet Town."

Brock nodded, gesturing back to the sign, where Ash's image was next to Clemont's. "Oh yeah, I remember Ash," he said, laughing as he seemed to remember their last meeting. "He was an...interesting challenger. It seems he's come a long way since facing off against my Onix with his little Pikachu."

"Pikachu...against an Onix?" Clemont couldn't help but chuckle at that, but then he remembered Pikachu taking on that Rhyperior in Ash's entrance battle. "Well, I guess type matchups aren't Ash's thing all the time."

"Haha, I guess he still does it then, huh?" Brock asked, laughing. "He was a beginner when he first battle me, so I guess we can't be too hard on him, and I suppose Pikachu's strong enough now he can handle most Pokemon."

Clemont couldn't deny that. "Pikachu's one of the strongest Pokemon I've ever met. He and Ash really seem to get each other. Ash seems to get all of his Pokemon so well." He looked down at Elekid as he thought of that, the electric type looking up at him with an encouraging grin, as though letting him know he wasn't any different. Clemont smiled back, grateful.

"Wouldn't expect any less of him," Brock said, nodding. "That Greninja of his seems like something else, that's for sure." He paused, looking deep in thought. "I wonder what Ash's feeding routine must be with him..." He shook his head quickly and looked back at Clemont. "I found it pretty strange to find out Ash was attending the school. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy to stick around in one place."

"Well, he's not totally sticking around right now," Clemont replied, sighing as he remembered Ash's call a couple days before, where his friend had informed him he'd be staying in Alola a little longer. "He's in Alola right now. He's hoping to figure out more about his Greninja's transformation, actually."

Brock looked amused by that, but shrugged as he looked back at the IPL sign. "Well, I'm sure he'll be back soon enough. If he's committed to your battling team, he'll want to see that through." He then pointed to the schedule that was still in Clemont's hands. "In the meantime, though, you'll have to keep some notes for him. My Pokemon Nutrition class won't be easy!"

* * *

Ash wasn't normally one to sit still, whether it be at a table for a meal, watching a Pokemon battle, or especially, paying attention to a class. He almost always wanted to move in some way. He needed to. He needed to stay active if he wanted his Pokemon to stay active.

Sitting in the Melemele University class on Z-Moves, however, had Ash utterly captivated. Hala was the teacher for the class, and every word he spoke took hold of Ash's attention more and more. He was clearly an expert in the field, as Ash had seen before, and he knew enough to answer any question asked of him. And Ash had many, much to the amusement of the students around him, not that they minded, with most quickly noting down the answers given in response.

"Are there Z-Moves for each type of move?" Ash asked eagerly, as Hala was giving a quick rundown on some of the more basic Z-Moves. _There doesn't seem to be any Z-Move that's basic_ , Ash thought.

"Oh yes," Hala answered, chuckling as he picked up a small box on his desk and opened it up for the class to see. There were a variety of crystals in the box, each a different colour. "There are Z-Moves for every known type of attack, such as Normalium Z and Fightinium Z. Normalium Z will generally take a normal type attack such as Tackle and power it up so that the Pokemon using it can use the Z-Move Breakneck Blitz. Fightinium Z on the other hand will turn most fighting type attacks into All-Out Pummeling. There are specific crystals for specific Pokemon, however." Hala gestured to Pikachu, who was sitting comfortably on the desk in front of Ash. "There is a crystal for Pikachu, actually, known as Pikanium Z that powers up the move Volt Tackle for a special move known as Catastropika."

"Whoa..." Ash had thought he'd learned a lot about Z-Moves from the questions he'd asked Hala back in Kalos and what he'd asked Kukui and Samson in Pallet Town, but this lecture had flooded his mind with a ton of new information. Much like how Mega Evolution changed how battles were fought in Kalos, Z-Moves could completely change the way trainers fought in Alola.

Ash's interest in the lecture didn't waver as it went on, and by the time Hala was finished with his lesson, it had almost seemed like no time had gone by at all. As students started packing up their things and leaving the class, Ash just sat in his spot, thinking of all the different kinds of attacks he could use with Z-Moves. Battling with Hau and working around them had been an exciting challenge, but he couldn't wait for his chance to use them himself.

By the time Ash realized the class was nearly empty, he looked around, quickly picking up his backpack and holding his arm out for Pikachu to scurry up to his shoulder. He noticed a couple of the students he'd briefly met after his battle with Hau, Kiawe and Sophocles, talking with Hala at the front, and paused, hearing one of them mention the Firium Z. Hala seemed to notice Ash perking up at the mention of the Z-Crystal, and motioned for him to join them at the front.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, looking down as he noticed Kiawe holding up his wrist, examining what Ash could see was a Z-Ring, with a red crystal in it.

"Kiawe here has been working on mastering the fire type Z-Move for quite awhile," Hala informed Ash, nodding to the Firium Z on Kiawe's wrist. "You see, Kiawe runs one of the trials here in Alola, and he's very particular about fire types, and in particular, the fire type Z-Moves."

Kiawe held up a fist, looking at Ash with fierce determination in his eyes. "There's no better feeling than dancing through the heat and flames of battle with your Pokemon! I've trained on Wela Volcano my entire life, and I'll never stop perfecting my fire attacks."

"You perform the Inferno Overdrive attack quite admirably with your Turtonator," Hala told his student, sighing. "I believe you've perfected it quite fine."

Sophocles chuckled, looking up at Ash as his Pokemon, a Togedarmu as Ash had been told, scurried up on his shoulder to peer at Pikachu. "Kiawe's as passionate as you seem to be, Ash. I bet you two would make good rivals."

Ash grinned at the thought, having heard a few students mentioning Kiawe was quite a skilled trainer. "I'd love to be rivals. How about a battle, Kiawe?" he asked, looking at the other trainer challengingly.

Kiawe looked to him, excitement in his eyes, before he sighed and looked down. "I'm worried I don't have what it takes to battle you yet, Ash. To avoid Hau's Z-Move the way you did...I've never seen such a thing. This is why I need to keep training harder. I'm not nearly as close to mastering my power with my Pokemon as I can be."

"But if you run a trial you must be really strong!" Ash countered, eyes widening in surprise. He looked to Hala, who just chuckled and shrugged.

"How about you at least show Ash your Z-Move, Kiawe? I'm sure he'd love to see it." Kiawe looked a little unsure, but then nodded, appearing to think of it as a different sort of challenge as he narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe you can try to spot any weaknesses in it." He looked up at Pikachu, who was now watching curiously from Ash's shoulder. "You defeated Hau's Z-Move with speed...but Inferno Overdrive would be far more difficult to avoid in that fashion..." He trailed off, looking at the ground as he thought.

With the decision made to have Kiawe demonstrate the Z-Move, Hala led the way out of the classroom and out on the school grounds. When they reached the practice battlefields, Hala seemed to purposefully select one that was as far away from any of the other trainers as possible. That only made Ash more interested and excited, and he looked up at Pikachu with shining eyes. He could tell this was going to be something special already.

When they were satisfied with their location and that nobody was too close, Hala turned to Kiawe, nodding for him to begin his demonstration. The Trial Captain seemed to be more determined now, apparently happy with his self-challenge to prove the attack difficult for Ash to spot a counter for. He took a deep breath, stepping forward, closing his eyes and letting the hot Alolan sun warm him for a moment. When he was ready, he threw out his pokeball, releasing the Pokemon he'd be demonstrating the Z-Move with.

"Turtonator, come on out!" he called out, a flash of light revealing a massive Pokemon before them.

Ash's eyes widened in excitement as he looked at the new Pokemon. It was standing on two legs, but the Pokemon appeared to be turtle-like, with a large shell on its back and a dull green head and limbs. The shell was spiked, looking quite fearsome, with red and yellow towards the outside and brown and red spikes towards the middle. He also seemed to have a smaller one on his head.

"Turtonator, the Blast Turtle Pokemon," Ash's PokeDex began, once he opened it and scanned the new Pokemon. "It lives in volcanoes, and feeds on sulfur and other minerals. The materials from this diet form the basis of its explosive shell."

"Explosive shell?" Ash asked, looking up in surprise.

Sophocles spoke up in answer. "It's Turtonator's not so secret weapon. He can use the move known as Shell Trap, where he powers up the shell and any Pokemon that hits it...well..."

"Boom," Kiawe suggested, chuckling as Turtonator puffed out some smoke.

"That sounds so awesome!" Ash exclaimed, his mind already thinking of how to take it on in battle. _There are so many cool and unique Pokemon here in Alola!_ he thought, his eyes being drawn to another group with some more unfamiliar Pokemon out. As he looked, he noticed Professor Kukui stepping out of one of the buildings and looking over to them, before making his way over.

"Hey cousins," the Alolan researcher greeted, smiling as he looked at Turtonator approvingly. "Showing young Ash here another Z-Move I take it?"

"You bet!" Kiawe told him, looking excited to get the chance to show off the move in front of Kukui as well.

"Well, what're you waiting for Kiawe, show us!" Sophocles urged, gesturing towards Ash who was now visibly shaking with excitement.

Kiawe chuckled nervously at that, but then moved forward with Turtonator, facing towards the empty field past the battlefield, where nobody would be in the way of his attack. "Okay, Turtonator, are you ready?" he called out to his Pokemon, his Z-Ring ready on his wrist. Turtonator nodded, standing straight in front of his trainer, mimicking his straight positioning. Ash noticed they moved almost like Tierno and his Pokemon as they readied themselves.

At first, Kiawe thrust out his arms, Turtonator moving in perfect sync with him from in front, the Z-Ring glowing brightly almost immediately as a yellow aura seemed to connect the two. They then spread their arms out wide, before quickly bringing them back in, holding out one fist over the other. Ash got the feeling it was almost like Kiawe and Turtonator were harnessing all of their energy, and he could see smoke already pouring from the fire and dragon type Pokemon's shell. Kiawe wasn't done though, his motions even more precise as he raised his arms, thrusting each into the air as though he was raising something up above him. Then, he finished off, folding his left arm over in front of him, grasping his right arm and gesturing forward towards Turtonator, the yellow aura continuing to grow brighter.

Ash's eyes widened as Turtonator seemed to glow in a combination of the Z-Move energy and the heat of his own body. If he hadn't been worried about missing a single moment, he might've shielded his eyes. He watched in awe as Kiawe yelled, "Inferno Overdrive!" and Turtonator cried out in unison, fire engulfing his entire body. It seemed to glow brighter and brighter and exude more and more heat as it grew around him. Then, before Ash could blink, Turtonator seemed to explode forward, the blazing inferno radiating so much heat, he and the others had to step back, despite Turtonator going _further_ away from them, out into the empty field, before finally coming to a stop, the flames dying down as he turned, panting to look at his likewise tired trainer.

"And that," Kiawe said, breathing heavily as he turned to the group, "is Inferno Overdrive."

Kukui seemed almost as impressed as Ash, eyes shining with excitement as well, despite the fact he'd probably seen the move performed plenty of times. "That was quite the blaze, cousin! You've been training really hard!"

"Perhaps our lessons are doing the trick, Professor," Hala suggested with a laugh, before looking over to Ash. "Well, Ash, did you see any ways you might've been able to avoid _that_ Z-Move?"

Ash laughed, shaking his head as he looked up at Pikachu. "I don't think we could've avoided it like All-Out-Pummeling." He then paused, thinking a moment, before shrugging and looking over to Kiawe. "I think I'd just have to meet it power with power."

Everyone stared at him in surprise at that comment, but a moment later, Kiawe burst out laughing. "Now _that_ would be something to see! Sophocles is right, Ash. You would be a great rival!"

"As soon as I can learn to do a Z-Move like that, we'll need to have a battle," Ash told him, raising a fist in challenge, Pikachu doing the same from his shoulder.

"In that case, I suppose you'd better do some more training," Hala said, bringing Ash's attention to him. "Crabominable has been looking forward to working with your Greninja. I think it's time we figure out more about that little mystery."

* * *

The first place Serena wanted to go to, once she'd arrived back in Lumiose City and received her second semester schedule, was the training facilities. With the knowledge that Ash would be staying in Alola a bit longer, she was hoping her other friends would be heading there as well, and they could spend some time training together before getting settled at their dorms. Dawn and Shauna had decided to go back early, but she'd been looking forward to seeing Tierno, Trevor, Clemont and Marie. Unfortunately, when she'd arrived, no familiar faces were there among the other students that had decided to do some training.

She sighed as she looked around the room, eyes settling on one of the empty battlefields towards the back. _I suppose I might as well do some training while I'm here,_ she thought, her hand immediately pulling out Absol's pokeball. She figured some standard battle training might be a bit better to work on today, her mind going back to her battle with Astrid, as it had many times since meeting up with the talented trainer.

When she reached the battlefield, she stepped onto it, and opened the pokeball, releasing Absol in a flash of light. The Disaster Pokemon stretched as he turned to look at her, his sleek fur looking so different from when she'd first seen him after being chased down by that hunter. The difference in his health brought a proud smile to her face, and she knelt down in front of him, hugging him lightly. It surprised him a little, but he didn't back away. In fact, he nuzzled her lightly, before she stood up.

"Absol, you've come such a long way," Serena told her fierce fighter. "I'm so proud of how much you've progressed, and how well you've done even since you've gotten out of the Pokemon Centre."

"Sol," he murmured, nodding to her.

Serena smiled again, appreciating her Pokemon even more. "Do you remember what Astrid suggested we do?" she asked after a moment, looking determinedly in Absol's eyes. "About the...Mega Stone?"

Absol nodded, a smile actually coming to his face. He was equally determined it seemed. "Absol," he murmured, his deep tone encouraging Serena further.

"I want to be ready if we're going to try and do this," Serena said, looking away as she tried to think of what they might have to do. Surely if there was a Mega Stone in Kiloude City, Pokemon would be near it. At least, based on what Astrid had mentioned, some would be drawn to the energy. _She even said some might attack us. That's not even including trainers that might get in the way._

The idea of other trainers looking for the stone made Serena nervous that she might never get her chance, but according to Astrid, it would be very difficult to find, and only trainers with very close bonds to their Absol would have even a chance at finding it. And even then, the Absol would need to be adept at sensing its energy. _And at that point, it's fair game for trainers to battle it out for the stone._

"We haven't had much chance to battle," Serena said, finally looking back to Absol, "but we did well in Professor Sycamore's tournament, and Astrid thought we did fairly well against her." Her mind went over the battles they'd fought, and she felt something was off about each one, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She decided that to figure out what she could work on, she should have Absol train with one of her other Pokemon a bit. So, a moment later, she was tossing out Pancham's pokeball, the Playfull Pokemon emerging in a flash of light and flipping up his sunglasses to his forehead as he turned to look at his trainer. "Cham pancham!" he called out, looking ready to help as needed.

Serena felt somewhat giddy as she began, feeling like she was running one of Ash's training sessions as she called out various attacks for the two Pokemon. She made sure to mix in a few performance moves as well, wanting to keep them sharp in that regard, but overall they seemed to be doing quite well in their battle attempts.

Pancham was definitely the quicker of the two, his more advanced performance training serving him well. He deftly avoided many of Absol's distance attacks, and controlled the fighting in close with his smaller frame and use of Arm Thrust. When Absol managed to land a hit with a combination of Detect and a quick follow up attack, however, it was clear that he had the ability to overpower his smaller opponent. Serena just wished she could find a way to make it easier for him to move freely and use his attacks faster.

Double Edge was seemed to be Absol's strongest attack, but he only seemed to be able to use it when meeting an attack head on as Pancham rushed towards him from a distance. Detect was definitely useful, saving him from many of the in close attacks Pancham attempted, but it couldn't be relied on too much before Pancham could slip through with an attack. Psycho Cut and Dark Pulse were both useful, allowing Absol to keep some distance at times, but both appeared to be a struggle once Absol needed to attack in close and Pancham was too quick for him.

"Cham!" Pancham cried out as he ducked under an attempted Dark Pulse from Absol, before raising his arms and firing out his own from in close. It exploded against the opposing dark type and sent Absol skidding backwards, gritting his teeth. That was when Serena realized what they needed to do, thinking both about Absol's battle ability, but also about the usefulness this would have in future performances.

"Absol!" Serena called out, getting both of her Pokemon to look at her as she took a few quick steps forward to get their attention. "I think I know something we should work on with you. What do you think about trying to learn a new move?"

"Sol?" Absol tilted his head, looking at Serena in confusion, before his eyes went to Pancham, as though considering where the battle had seemed to go wrong for him. When his eyes went back to Serena's, he nodded, appearing to think the idea a good one.

"A new move? Ah, zat would be an excellent idea!"

Serena blinked in surprise, turning around at the voice. "Ms. Fantina! Hi!" she greeted, a little flustered with the sudden appearance of her coach and teacher. "We're just doing a bit of training. I thought a new move might be helpful for Absol."

"It looks as if you are training for battling," Fantina noted, raising her eyebrows in curiosity, although she didn't seem to be acting as though it was wrong. Serena remembered that Fantina was a gym leader in Sinnoh after all. Battling was something she knew very well despite her other capabilities.

"I...well, there's something Absol and I are trying to work towards," Serena murmured, not sure she wanted to admit that it was largely due to her interest in finding the Mega Stone. "But during our practice battle I did notice he needed a better variety of moves. If he had something to use besides Dark Pulse, that would be better both in battle _and_ in performances, especially when working with Pancham."

Fantina nodded, smiling in agreement as she looked at the two Pokemon, who were watching the exchange curiously. "Zer is something to be said for having a diverse set of moves for your Pokemon, zat is for certain. Impressive zat you discovered zis with battling despite your experience being elsewhere."

"I guess I've learned a lot from Ash," Serena suggested, laughing a little as she shrugged.

"Many of us seem to," Fantina agreed, chuckling. Her eyes went to Absol for a moment, and then back to Serena. "Are you planning to use Absol in ze next IPL performance?"

Serena didn't answer right away, looking at Absol uncertainly. Sure, she'd used him in an exam and battled with him a few times, but he hadn't really had a great deal of training for something as high level as the IPL performances. Considering how nervous he'd been during that Shalour performance, she was still a little hesitant. Of course...if they wanted to improve...

"I would suggest you think about it," Fantina spoke again, smiling encouragingly. "Your bond is strong. You might find zat it makes up for any weaknesses you may find yourselves facing."

With that, Fantina departed, saying a quick goodbye before she greeted a few other students at their own battlefields. As Serena noticed her teacher leaving the room, she smiled widely as someone else entered from the other side of the door. She signalled to him quickly, and he caught sight of her, heading over to her with what appeared to be an Elekid trailing after him.

"Clemont! It's so good to see you!" Serena greeted, once he'd reached her battlefield. "Did you have a good break?"

"Yeah, it was great," Clemont answered, smiling as he gestured to Elekid. "I caught Elekid while I was in Shalour City. He seemed to really want to come join our team here in Lumiose."

"That's great!" Serena exclaimed, walking forward to greet Clemont's newest Pokemon. She remembered him from their IPL matches in Shalour City, when he'd helped in finding Absol. "Welcome to the team, Elekid."

"Bee bee!" the electric type greeted, giving her a fist bump, which she returned awkwardly.

"How about you?" Clemont then asked, looking curiously to Absol and Pancham. "Already training, I see."

Serena laughed, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Well, Dawn, Shauna and I had a nice time in Vaniville Town. Astrid came to visit us as well briefly." She wasn't going to hide her goal to get the Mega Stone from Clemont, and excitedly told him about the rumour Astrid suggested they look into. "She says the Mega Stone could be somewhere around Kiloude City. We want Absol to be ready for whatever challenges might be around there. I'm thinking of teaching him a new move."

Clemont seemed quite excited about the idea, which Serena was glad to see. "A Mega Stone...wow, that would certainly add something to your performances. Mega Absol seems to be one of the particularly nice looking Mega Evolutions from what I've seen." He then narrowed his eyes, looking up in thought. "A new move, though...I wonder what could work both in battle and with your other Pokemon in terms of performances."

Serena nodded, unsure of how to solve that problem herself just yet. "It would be nice to use a water type move with Braixen's fire attacks, but I don't think Absol can learn any of those."

Clemont shrugged. "He could learn Water Pulse I believe, but...I'm not sure that would change much in terms of your issue with Dark Pulse." He thought for another moment, and then his eyes lit up as he looked up to Absol. "It's not a water type move, but there is a move that might be able to work with Absol's style, and complement your other Pokemon quite well."

Serena felt a rush of excitement at hearing that. "What is it?" she asked eagerly.

And when Clemont told her, she knew right away that it would be perfect.

 **Author's Note:**

And there we have it. Clemont meets Brock, who will be a guest lecturer for the Pokemon Nutrition course, Ash is going to train a bit more, including some special lessons with Hala, and, Serena is training hard with Absol in order to enter him in the next IPL match, learn a new move and eventually acquire a Mega Stone. Lots of stuff in store for the next run in this story.

As for that, obviously LU has had its many many struggles. I'm obviously not as motivated for this story as for my Bonnie story, but I'm committed to finishing it. The updates will be fairly regular now. The goal is approximately two a week until everything is finished (just one this week). Might be three, might be one some weeks. Hell, it might be four or none on the odd week. I can't say for sure with every one. But, assume I'm dead if two weeks go by without an update unless otherwise told. Chapters in Part 2 will generally be shorter than they were in Part 1, but there's still plenty of content to come. It's time to do this.

"Gotta Write 'em All"


	5. Performing With a Watery Charm

**Author's Note:**

And the next chapter is here, and not after something like 5 months! Isn't that great? Not much to say other than...wow, Ash has a Dragonite now. Who's excited about that? Anyway, hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 5: Performing With a Watery Charm**

"All right, Greninja use Double Team!"

Ash spread his arms out in front of him, feeling the rush of power in his veins that he knew the Ninja Pokemon felt as well. This time, Crabominable wouldn't stand a chance. As copies of Greninja spread around the battlefield, on the ground and in the air, their opponent stared around cautiously, his trainer calmly watching from behind him. Hala wasn't one to be taken off guard, so Ash knew this strike needed to be executed perfectly.

"Now!" Ash yelled, raising his right arm up above him as though holding up the sky. He could feel his heart racing, energy surging through him. "Let's do this! WATER SHURIKEN!"

All the Greninja copies in the air cried out in answer, the echoing giving Crabominable a slightly hesitant look. Each raised his arm, the water rising above and spinning rapidly, glowing in a bright blue light. Then, Ash felt his heart somehow beating faster, feeling the desperation in both him and Greninja to make this work. It was a connection of their hearts he had rarely felt as strongly.

"Greeennnn!" Greninja cried out, his copies rushing to a spot in the air, the spinning shuriken above his real form expanding more and more, glowing brighter and brighter, changing from blue to yellow to red and orange.

Ash vaguely noticed Hala starting to move his arms in rhythm with Crabominable, but he and Greninja weren't worried. They were ready this time. They _wouldn't_ fail. They were stronger than ever. They were more connected than ever.

"GOOOO!" Ash shouted, thrusting his arm out in front of him with all his might. If he hadn't been so focused on the attack, he might've winced at the pulling of his muscles.

As Greninja's glowing Water Shuriken rushed towards Crabominable, the opposing Pokemon unleashed his own move, the flying fists of All-Out-Pummeling coming out to meet Greninja's attack. Ash felt as though it was all in slow motion, the two mighty attacks heading to meet on an ultimate collision course.

But then Greninja's shuriken met the Z-Move, and it evaporated in an instant.

"Gren!" the Ninja Pokemon cried out in surprise.

Ash couldn't even react as Greninja was struck by the mighty fists that rushed towards him. He felt his chest and stomach sting from each hit, and his eyes bulged with the final one that sent Greninja crashing to the ground. Both trainer and Pokemon dropped to the ground as Greninja's form faded.

"Greninja is unable to battle!" Professor Kukui called out from the sideline, waving his arm to Hala and Crabominable. "Hala and Crabominable win the match!"

"Ruff ruff!" Rockruff barked from the professor's side, before the Puppy Pokemon ran forward to Ash, eyes wide in concern.

Ash smiled weakly as Rockruff reached him, struggling to his knees. Rockruff had made a habit of ensuring he was okay whenever he collapsed after a battle with Greninja. That was often over the last week and a half.

"Thanks Rockruff," Ash whispered, sitting up a little straighter and taking a few deep breaths. "I'm okay." Rockruff barked happily at that and hopped into Ash's lap and gave his face a few licks, before Pikachu and Riolu came over to also make sure he was okay. Once they were all convinced, Ash quickly headed over to Greninja, helping his fierce fighter to his feet, while Kukui and Hala came over.

"I thought you had it there for a second, cousin," Kukui told Ash chuckling as he looked to Hala. "You're pushing him pretty hard!"

"I'd like to go easier," Hala answered with a hearty laugh. "Ash won't budge on having me use Z-Moves whenever we battle."

"If we're going to get stronger, we need to fight the toughest opponents at their best," Ash said stubbornly, smiling as Greninja nodded his approval. He was relieved as Greninja managed to stand upright on his own two feet, although he was still breathing heavily from the exhaustion of the battle.

Kukui seemed impressed by that, nodding in agreement. "That's the way to do it, cousin!"

"Ruff ruff!" Rockruff barked, as though voicing his own approval. He even seemed to growl a bit, as though he wanted to battle after watching all of the training sessions between Ash and Hala.

"Looks like you've got Rockruff more fired up than ever!" Kukui said, looking almost surprised as he exchanged a look with Hala.

"The sign of a true trainer," Hala said knowingly, nodding slowly. He seemed distracted a moment, then looked at Greninja. "I suppose we'd better end it there for the day, Ash. I expect you'll want to get Greninja to the Pokemon Centre."

"How about battling some of my other Pokemon?" Ash asked, not wanting to stop. "While Greninja's at the Pokemon Centre, we could have another battle!"

Hala chuckled, shaking his head. "You need to take a break as well, Ash. Why don't you explore Melemele Island for a bit. You haven't seen as much of it as I'm sure you'd like to."

Kukui nodded, looking up as they noticed Kiawe and Sophocles emerging from one of the school buildings. "You could head out with Kiawe and Sophocles," he suggested, waving them over. "You guys are heading out to meet Lillie and the others today, right?"

"Yeah," Sophocles said excitedly. "They're finishing up that project on water Pokemon."

Ash hadn't met these other students yet, and was excited by the thought of seeing some new water Pokemon if there were any. "Are there lots of Pokemon that are only in Alola where you're going?" he asked eagerly.

"I guess so," Sophocles answered. "Lana has a Popplio, too, so you'll be able to see that at the very least. And Mallow and Lillie's Pokemon."

"I'm in!" Ash said excitedly, Kiawe and Sophocles looking pleased by that.

"Ruff!"

"I think Rockruff wants to go with you as well," Kukui laughed, the Puppy Pokemon nodding. "Well, why don't you get Greninja to the Pokemon Centre and head out to find the others. I'm sure they'll be waiting for you."

The three trainers nodded, Ash returning Greninja to his pokeball, before they set off in the direction of the Pokemon Centre. It wasn't too far way, with one having been set up by the school when it was opened, so once Ash had entrusted Greninja to Nurse Joy's care, he and his friends were quickly able to set off towards the forest where Ash had first seen the school from when he'd arrived in Alola.

He wondered briefly if he would see that strange Pokemon again, but he didn't have much time to think about that, with Kiawe and Sohocles leading him down a path he'd never even noticed before when he'd rushed into the forest without any idea of where to go. For once, Ash decided to take it easy and let Kiawe and Sophocles lead the way, still feeling the tiredness from his battle with Hala.

It was quite interesting to be able to see the forest a little clearer on this outing, with a few more unfamiliar Pokemon out and about. Ash realized he'd probably been so focused on that Grubbin back when he'd first been here that he hadn't even noticed all of the other Pokemon. Sophocles and Kiawe were able to fill him in on what some of the Pokemon were though, and he was excitedly fiddling with an empty pokeball at his waist, thinking about trying to catch one, when they finally exited the forest, reaching a clearing that led towards a small beach area.

When they emerged, Ash noticed two girls up ahead, running towards them, apparently noticing their arrival right away. One was a green-haired girl in grey overalls over a pink shirt, the other a blonde girl with a white dress and hat. Both were carrying Pokemon in their arms, the green-haired girl holding what appeared to be a pink fruit-like Pokemon with green growth emerging from its head, the other girl holding what Ash was sure was a Vulpix, but it was white as snow.

"Sophocles! Kiawe!" the green-haired girl cried out. "Lana's in trouble!"

"What?!" Kiawe shouted in surprise, his hand quickly going to his pokeball that held his Turtonator. "Where?"

"At the beach," the other girl said. "There was a wild Popplio, and it...I don't know, it got mad at her when she thought she saw Kyogre."

Sophocles sighed in exasperation, despite the panicked looks on his friends faces. "Kyogre...it's always Kyogre."

"Never mind that," the green-haired girl said quickly. "Come on!"

Ash followed as the others ran, not sure what was going on, but ready to help if needed. Pikachu and Riolu seemed ready as well, as did Rockruff, the Puppy Pokemon growling in anticipation of the coming fight he seemed to expect. Ash wasn't sure what to expect, but he was assuming they were in for quite a fight.

When they rounded the corner and looked upon the scene at the beach, however, what he saw made his jaw drop in surprise. There was another girl, this one with blue hair like the sea, and next to her was a blue sea lion Pokemon with a big pink nose. They were crouching behind a big rock, while something seemed to be attacking them with a never ending Bubble Beam. When he squinted his eyes, he could see that it actually seemed to be the same kind of Pokemon that was with the blue-haired girl.

He decided to act, seeing that his friends were too unsure of what to do, and he prepared to order Pikachu to use Thunderbolt, but Rockruff jumped in front of him right away, looking back at him and giving him a quick bark. Ash grinned, knowing what Rockruff wanted. "All right, Rockruff! Help out with Rock Throw!"

"Rrruff!" Rockruff cried out, running forward as fast as he could, before leaping over the blue-haired girl and on top of the rock she was hiding behind. He didn't quite have the precision of Pikachu, but he was clearly pretty fast, and Ash was impressed with his determination. The Puppy Pokemon's neck fur began to glow, and a moment later, stones blasted forward, meeting the Bubble Beam head on before pushing forward and exploding in front of the opposing Pokemon, causing it to leap backwards, flipping over and landing atop another stone, balancing perfectly on its bottom two flippers.

It seemed like a reflexive flip, and Ash was sure that this Pokemon was going to quickly follow it up with a dangerous attack. Instead, though, it looked up at the new arrivals curiously. Then, it bowed, its head tilting upwards after a moment, watching the newcomers expectantly.

"Ru ru ru!" Riolu suddenly cheered, starting to clap from Ash's shoulder.

"Pika chu chu!" Pikachu then joined in, applauding as well.

Ash hesitated a moment, and then realized that it actually seemed to be working. The Pokemon seemed to be quite pleased, forgetting the blue-haired girl entirely as the other trainers joined in with a few weak claps. When they were finished, Ash looked up at Riolu, giving the young Pokemon a thumbs up for getting it started, even though he suspected Riolu had just legitimately been impressed.

"Is it safe to come out now?" the girl behind the rock called out, looking up nervously.

"I...I think so, Lana," the green-haired girl said, looking curiously at Ash and then to her friend and nodding. "Are you and Popplio okay?"

"Yeah," Lana muttered, getting up and looking cautiously at her attacker, who was now doing a few flips on its own, as though warming up for something later. "Geez...all Popplio and I were doing was looking for Kyogre, and then that one got upset because we weren't paying attention to its dancing." She looked back as Rockruff bounded over to the group, and then up to Ash. "Thanks for helping me."

"No problem!" Ash said happily, smiling. "My name's Ash by the way. And these guys are Pikachu and Riolu!" he gestured to the Pokemon on his shoulders.

"Ash is in Alola learning about Z-Moves and doing some special training with Hala and Kukui," Kiawe explained, fingering his Z-Ring as he spoke. "He's a student in the Kalos region."

"Kalos?" the blonde girl asked, looking interested. "Where Hala went last semester?" When Kiawe nodded, she looked to Ash, eyes wide with curiosity. "I'm Lillie, and this is Snowy," she said, holding her white Vulpix up. "Hala and Kukui have mentioned you. And another student at your school...Serena, I think?"

"Serena's one of my best friends!" Ash told her, nodding. "She's still in Kalos, but Hala did talk to her about something."

Lillie nodded, smiling. "She sounds like an amazing person. I've heard all about what she did with helping that Absol heal from a serious injury."

"She's the best," Ash assured her, happy to know that Hala had spoken highly of Serena. "She's getting Absol trained up for Pokemon performances now."

"Pokemon performances?" the green-haired girl, who quickly introduced herself as Mallow, asked. "Are those like trials?"

Ash didn't quite know how to answer that, but Kiawe answered for him. "Not quite. From what I've heard, they don't involve battling, although some parts involve doing different tasks, and there's a lot of dancing it seems." He seemed pleased by that last part.

"Serena would explain it best," Ash said, glancing over as the Popplio who'd attacked Lana seemed to be hopping closer to the group, apparently waiting for them to watch it do more flips or something. "There's a Theme Performance and a Freestyle Performance. The Theme Performance has things like fashion shows, solving puzzles and baking with your Pokemon, while the Freestyle Performance involves trying to do a whole bunch of amazing moves with your Pokemon to impress the crowd and judges. Unlike Pokemon Contests and their Appeals round, the trainer has to be an important part of it, too."

"That sounds really fun!" Mallow exclaimed, looking at her Pokemon, which Ash discovered was a Bounsweet from his PokeDex. "I bet we'd do really well at the baking, right Bounsweet."

"Pop! Lio popplio!"

The group all glanced up as the wild Popplio cried out, sounding frustrated. Lana sighed in exasperation as she looked at it, her own Popplio looking a bit nervous. "Speaking of performances...this one seems to like eyes on it all the time." She glared at the ground a moment. "Can't even look for Kyogre..."

Ash scanned the Popplio with his PokeDex, finding the feisty Pokemon to be pretty entertaining as it did a flew flips through the air with its newly assembled audience. "Popplio, the Sea Lion Pokemon," the PokeDex spoke, an image of it appearing on the screen. "A water type. Popplio can control water balloons and works hard so it can make bigger balloons." As the PokeDex finished, Ash glanced up to see Popplio demonstrating its water balloon talents, a big bubble expanding above it, before it swatted it up into the air, where it popped and showered it with a sparkling spray.

"It seems like a real...Performer." Ash glanced up at Pikachu, his partner Pokemon looking thoughtful as though thinking the same thing as him.

Lillie surprisingly seemed to read Ash's thoughts, politely applauding as Popplio began to do version of juggling with three smaller water balloons. "Popplio could probably use someone to bring out its performing talents even more."

"Serena doesn't have any water types..." Ash paused, watching with the others as Popplio continued performing a few simple routines. It definitely had a bit of an attitude, constantly looking at the group as it finished up a different stunt, and refusing to do more until there was some applause. It reminded him a bit of that Jigglypuff that used to run around Kanto and Johto.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, patting his cheek from his shoulder.

Ash looked up at him. "I think we should see if Popplio would like to take its talents to the big stage." He then stepped forward, the others stepping back, looking excited to see what would play out. "Popplio!" he called out, getting the Sea Lion Pokemon's attention as it bowed once more, finishing a routine. "I want to challenge you to a battle. I think I know someone who would love to perform with you. If I win, would you let me bring you to her to meet her?"

Popplio at first looked irritated that he hadn't been applauding its most recent routine, but as he spoke, it considered him curiously, tilting its head. Ash smiled, seeing that his request seemed to intrigue the water type.

Then, Riolu hopped down off of his shoulder, running up a few steps closer to Popplio, and he began to do a small dancing routine. It almost seemed to be a mixture of Hawlucha's posing antics, and some of Serena's more graceful performance routines, but it got Popplio's attention. "Ruru!" Riolu cried out as he finished, looking up excitedly, before giving himself a little cheer, which the others chuckled at, before joining in.

"Yeah, Riolu learned that from Serena," Ash continued, giving the young fighting type a thumbs up. "Serena can teach you even more, and you can perform on a stage and help her become Kalos Queen!"

"Pop popplio..." Popplio's eyes were bright with excitement and interest, and before Ash could react, it was leaping forward, staring down Riolu, before looking up at Ash, and narrowing its eyes. _So it wants to battle Riolu. Well, he beat a Z-Move, so I bet he can handle it._

"You ready for a battle, Riolu?" Ash asked the Emanation Pokemon, Riolu turning around in surprise, but nodding and smiling a moment later.

"Be careful, Ash," Lana spoke up, watching the opposing Popplio nervously. "It's not just a performing Popplio...it's a fighter."

"We've seen Ash and Riolu fight, Lana," Kiawe said confidently, folding his arms as he looked ahead to watch the battle. "This'll be a piece of cake."

Ash appreciated the warning and the kind words. Lana was right that he needed to be careful, though. This wasn't quite like his battle with Hau. Popplio had a much different style, and that would mean he'd have to approach the fight much differently. Speed and in close fighting could get him in trouble. Although he wasn't sure he had much else given Riolu's lack of experience overall.

"Pop!" Popplio then cried out, deciding to begin the battle. It was leaping towards Riolu in an instant, and Ash barely had time to order a counter.

"Endure!" he shouted, Riolu, bracing himself in tune with his call.

"Ru!" he grunted out, feet sliding back on the sand as Popplio, body enveloped in water, struck with all its force. _An Aqua Jet,_ Ash noted, smiling. He'd always found that move useful with Buizel and Oshawott. Unfortunately, it seemed too useful for Popplio, Riolu's reaction time just a little off and unable to brace himself for the full power of the attack. His legs gave way and he fell back, propelled along the ground a few feet, before he struggled to stand once more.

Ash wasn't going to let Popplio react first again this time, though, and he quickly ordered Riolu's next move. "Quick Attack!"

"Ruru!" Riolu shouted, a white aura around his body as he darted forward at full speed.

Popplio's performing ability proved useful, however, and as Riolu tried driving his body into it, the Sea Lion Pokemon, flipped up, forming opening its mouth as it descended back to the ground with Riolu underneath it. "Liooo!"

The Bubble Beam crashed into Riolu from above, the Emanation Pokemon taken completely off guard. Unfortunately, that wasn't it, with Popplio swinging its bottom flippers out to send Riolu flying back across towards Ash with a mighty Pound attack.

"You okay, Riolu?" Ash called out, unsure of how much more he could push the young Pokemon. Riolu had managed to fight Crabrawler with speed, but Popplio was holding the advantage with that in this battle.

"Ruru!" Riolu cried out, looking determined as he got to his feet. He wasn't going to give up. _I won't give up either,_ Ash vowed silently. _We'll need to be more careful, though._ He smiled as an idea came to him.

"All right, Riolu, let's use Quick Attack again!" Ash heard the others murmur in surprise, but he was confident this time. Popplio couldn't beat them the same way twice.

As Riolu charged forward once again, picking up speed with his Quick Attack, Ash noticed Popplio preparing to leap up again. He wanted to time his move right, though, and waited until he saw the Sea Lion Pokemon narrow its eyes and tense its flippers. As it started to jump, he called his next order.

"Endure!"

Riolu skidded to a halt, crossing his arms in front above his head as Popplio leaped upwards and flipped, aiming its Bubble Beam down towards him. He held on with everything he had, but he wasn't unguarded as Popplio began to descend this time, another Pound being prepared.

"Now, Quick-" Ash's eyes widened, watching Riolu's eyes suddenly narrow, before his arm darted upward, just as Popplio was about to reach him.

"Ru!" the Emanation Pokemon cried out, a white light surrounding his fist, looking sharp as he slashed upwards with it.

"Metal Claw!" Sophocles shouted in excitement from behind Ash.

"Liooo!" Popplio cried out, surprise and pain in its voice as it was sent flying into a nearby rock.

Ash blinked, surprised himself at the strength of the Metal Claw. Riolu was certainly impressing lately. He knew he couldn't think about that now, though, quickly looking ahead to his fighting type and pointing ahead. "All right, Riolu, use Quick Attack!"

Popplio was desperate now, knowing that the tide of battle had turned, and it managed to recover enough to prepare an Aqua Jet. Its body was surrounded by water, and it moved to meet Riolu just as the Emanation Pokemon was about to reach it. They crashed together, and water and sand flew up around them.

Ash knew who had more power behind their attack, though, and as Riolu skidded back out of the dust cloud, he called his last attack. "Metal Claw!"

He saw Popplio once again try to block, flipping back and dodging the first strike, before swinging its flippers forward with a Pound. Unfortunately, its smooth movements just weren't enough, and Riolu knocked it back into the sand. Ash moved to grab his pokeball.

"Go, pokeball!" he shouted, throwing it forward, watching the capture device fly out, hit the downed water type, and pull it in in a beam of energy. It shook three times, as usual, before a soft ding signalled its capture. "Yeah!" Ash shouted in glee, running up to congratulate Riolu, before picking up the pokeball. "We got Popplio!"

The others quickly came over, congratulating Ash and Riolu on their impressive victory. Rockruff seemed the most fired up, almost looking like he wanted to challenge Riolu as he began growling and pawing the ground in his excitement. Pikachu managed to settle him down, though.

"I bet Popplio will be very happy to be able to perform in Kalos," Lillie said excitedly. "It sounds like it'll be a perfect match.

"And if it isn't, it's a pretty good fighter for you, Ash," Sophocles pointed out.

Ash shook his head, although he knew it was somewhat true. "No, I have a gut feeling that Serena and Popplio will be great friends." He held up the pokeball, feeling it shake just a little at that. He sighed, looking at his new friends, while he thought of his other friends. Battling with Popplio had reminded him just how much he missed them. _Maybe it's time for you to meet Serena, Popplio._

* * *

"Now Absol, try it again! One more time!"

Clemont watched from the sidelines with Trevor, Tierno and Shauna, as Absol braced himself, watching the barrage of bubbles rush towards him from Dawn's Piplup. For a moment, Clemont was sure the Disaster Pokemon would finally pull it off, his fur even standing up somewhat and ruffling a little. Unfortunately, he sagged as he was unable to do it, before sliding back and grunting as the Bubble Beam hit him.

"Don't worry, Absol, you'll get it soon!" Shauna called out encouragingly, absentmindedly stroking her Skitty's fur.

Clemont was sure that Absol would get it eventually, but he wasn't so sure about it being soon. Once he'd proposed working on the new move with Serena, she'd been interested right away. They'd worked on it every day since the semester had begun, along with their other friends. The most progress they'd seen so far, though, was a bit of his fur standing up and rustling.

"Is Absol okay?" Dawn called out, as she and Piplup moved across the battlefield to where Serena was crouched next to Absol.

"Sol," the dark type grunted, looking stubbornly at Serena, as though wanting to continue the training. Clemont knew Serena wasn't going to, though. She was always careful not to push Absol too far.

"It was still a good day, Absol," he heard Serena saying to the Disaster Pokemon. "You had better focus, and I was sure I felt a little breeze. I know you'll get it eventually!"

"Absol, with the way you got your rhythm back after your injuries, this'll be a piece of cake for you," Tierno added, nodding as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Clemont couldn't disagree, though. He was sure Absol was capable of much more with how hard he tended to work.

Trevor was holding up his camera, looking down at some pictures he had been taking, and he smiled as he paused on one. "It does look like Absol's made some progress, especially recently," he said, showing Clemont a picture from a couple days ago when Absol had first shown signs of t, where Absol was looking like he was particularly straining. In the photo from today, he seemed to be far more relaxed and focused.

"I wish Ash was here," Serena then said, giving Absol a comforting hug. "He'd know what to do to take the next step."

Everyone was silent at that, likely all feeling the same way. They knew Ash had desperately wanted to learn more about his connection with Greninja, but that didn't make his absence any easier to deal with. And training and doing classwork without him just wasn't the same. Not to mention, with the first IPL match of the next semester not too far away, they were going to need him back.

Fortunately, they didn't need to dwell on that too much for the moment, as they noticed the doors to the battlefield area open up, and Marie entering through them. She looked quite excited as her eyes locked onto them and she ran to join them. She'd had a class when they'd first arrived, so Clemont supposed she had just finished.

"Hi Marie!" Dawn called out first, coming down off the battlefield to greet her roommate. "How was your class?"

Marie almost seemed ready to burst, holding something behind her back as she looked at everyone. "I had Yuzo's class that the guys had last semester," she began, smiling widely as she revealed what was behind her back. "And I got the starter Pokemon he gives the students!"

Everyone gathered around her quickly at that, all excited to see what she got. "Levels and Experience is one of the best classes," Trevor said as Marie held up her pokeball, ready to open it up. "There's nothing like getting to bond with a Pokemon for one of your classes."

"It's especially good for someone like you, Marie," Clemont added, knowing she was excited about learning more about battling. She'd been training hard with her Fletchling in their recent trips to the training facilities. "You'll have to get your new Pokemon ready for a pretty tough exam."

"So what is it?" Dawn asked, leaning forward excitedly as Marie grinned. "I hope it's a Piplup. Then we can train a bunch together for some cool moves."

"It's not a Piplup," Marie said with a laugh, "but I'm sure it can learn a lot from yours." She then opened up the pokeball, the flash of light revealing a small, four-legged Pokemon with a leaf atop its head and pale green body.

"A Chikorita!" Trevor exclaimed, snapping a few quick pictures as the grass type looked up curiously at the trainers in front of it. "That leaf looks like it's a little longer than most...it must be pretty rare."

Marie raised an eyebrow at that, but ignored it as she looked at her friends, eyes narrowing challengingly. "I need to start training Chikorita right away. Can I battle one of you?" She looked around at them all quickly, and her eyes settled on Clemont. "Clemont! You're the Gym Leader! You _have_ to accept my challenge."

"What?" Clemont took a step back, nervously adjusting his glasses as he glanced at the others, who were watching the exchange curiously. "I...this is different, Marie. Chikorita will need more training if it's going to be ready for a gym battle. And my gym is generally one of the later ones challenged."

"Oh Clemont, why not battle. You can use your Elekid," Dawn suggested, smiling encouragingly. "You've only just started training him."

Clemont paused, not too sure about the idea. The truth was, he didn't quite have a grasp on how strong Elekid was just yet. Although, it might be a good idea to see if he could exercise some self-control. Grotle had certainly been testing his patience in that regard. He sighed, pulling out the electric type's pokeball. "All right, Marie. I accept."

Before he knew it, Marie was already on the battlefield, anxiously waiting for him, and he had to scramble up as quickly as he could, calling out Elekid as he did so. He tried telling Elekid to take things easy, but he wasn't quite sure if the Electric Pokemon understood. Still, he took his position opposite Marie, and then Dawn took up the referee position, calling out the rules, which both trainers agreed to. Then, Marie eagerly made the first move.

"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!" she called out, the Leaf Pokemon nodding at the order before raising her head and flinging a dozen or so spinning leaves in Elekid's direction.

Instinct took over, and Clemont found himself ordering a Swift attack to counter it. As Elekid send out the shining stars, the Lumiose Gym Leader couldn't help but wince at how quick and easy he'd made it seem, the Razor Leaf intercepted without any worry on Elekid's part. _I should try to give Marie some kind of confidence boost,_ Clemont thought.

He hoped Elekid would understand. "Elekid, use Swift one more time!" he called out, the Electric Pokemon glancing back and seeing Clemont just barely wave his hand down to signal for him to not overpower Chikorita. He was glad to see Elekid nod.

"Bee bee!" Elekid shouted, raising his arms, before flinging them forward and sending another set of shining stars towards Chikorita.

This time, Marie countered, another Razor Leaf shooting out, and this time on the defensive. However, Clemont couldn't help but smile as she followed it up. "Now use Tackle!"

"Low Kick!"

Clemont watched closely, impressed by Chikorita's speed as she darted through the smoke of the colliding attacks. As she reached Elekid, the Electric Pokemon tensed, raising his right leg. She cried out as she leaped forward, just as he ducked down to strike at her feet.

"Bee!"

Their friends cheered from the sidelines. Chikorita hopped back, landing softly on her feet, while Elekid grunted and stood up from where he'd landed. He seemed pleased, looking back at Clemont and smirking. Clemont couldn't help but smile as well. This was turning out to be just what they needed. Elekid was strong, and Clemont could see that he had had the opportunity a couple times now to strike Chikorita with a hard blow, but Chikorita still had good instincts. By helping her and Marie, Elekid and Clemont could get stronger as well.

 _Just like a true Gym Leader._

 **Author's Note:**

So Ash caught Popplio...but not for him. I know that idea is a bit meh for some people but I tried to make it clear Popplio's on board and would totally be happy with it. We'll see next chapter. As for Clemont, he's becoming quite the leader isn't he? Is he the new Ash?

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll have chapter 6 out for you on Friday.


	6. Welcome Back! Ash vs Agatha

**Author's Note:**

And chapter 6 has arrived! Wow, this is like 10 months of content within a week. Ha...ha...ha...bad joke. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 6: Welcome Back! Ash vs Agatha**

Ash had only been in Alola for a couple of weeks, but he couldn't help but feel like he was leaving something important behind. Obviously his new friends would be missed, but he knew he could still call and talk to them throughout the semester. But, as he looked over towards the forest, while Hala, Kukui and his friends led him towards the airport, he remembered that strange Pokemon he'd seen. He felt connected to it somehow.

 _Kokokoko!_

Ash blinked, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk they were now on. He stared at the forest a moment longer, unsure if he'd imagined the sound or had actually heard it. He could sense Pikachu tensing up as well, though, sure that he must have sensed something, too. The two exchanged a quick look, before they glanced ahead to where Sophocles had paused, turning around to make sure they weren't separated.

"Come on, Ash!" he called out. "Don't want to miss your flight, right?"

"Yeah, sorry!" Ash answered, jogging ahead to catch up.

As he and Sophocoles caught up to the rest of the group, he noticed Rockruff walking alongside Kukui, the Puppy Pokemon glancing back, eyes filled with sadness. Ash knew that Rockruff was going to miss him, and of course that he would miss Rockruff. The feisty rock type was his biggest fan in his training sessions with Hala, and they'd had a lot of fun together with the other students as well during off time from classes. Ash just hoped he'd have a chance to get out some of that battle energy he'd developed.

They stopped in front of the entrance to the airport, everyone looking at Ash as they moved off to the side to stay out of the way of other travellers. Hala was the first to speak after a moment of awkward silence.

"Well, Ash, you weren't here long, but it's pretty clear you've already had quite an impact on us all. You'll be missed." He fingered his Z-Ring, considering his next words. "I know you may feel our training sessions didn't lead to as much as you would've hoped."

Ash looked down in embarrassment. He'd been a bit frustrated in their last couple of sessions, although he thought nobody but Pikachu and Greninja had noticed. It hadn't been easy, knowing they'd intended to return to Kalos, but that they hadn't been able to figure out much else about Greninja's transformation. And their Water Shuriken had continued to fizzle out whenever they'd tried to power it up.

"Don't worry, Ash," Hala said firmly, bringing Ash's eyes back to his. "We've learned more than you think. There's much for Professor Kukui, Professor Samson and I to discuss, and we'll keep in touch with Professor Sycamore as well. I think you'll find you made a lot more progress than you thought. You and Greninja were more in sync each and every battle, I'm sure of it. And it helps you in your battles with your other Pokemon as well. Your Riolu wouldn't be advancing as quickly as he is if not for finding out more about yourself with Greninja."

Ash hadn't considered that, but he had thought Riolu was picking things up faster than he might've assumed at first. It was almost like Tierno and his battling style. The more Ash moved in sync with Greninja, the more he could move in sync with the others, even if they didn't have a special form. He was finding his rhythm more and more.

"It's a long journey to figure these things out, cousin," Kukui said with a laugh, kneeling down and giving Rockruff a comforting pat as he noticed it looking upset. "As long as you've got some great Pokemon by your side, though, you'll be fine. My money's on Lumiose taking that IPL title with you, Greninja and Pikachu leading the way."

Ash grinned at those words, feeling they were just the motivation he needed to get back to Lumiose with a renewed energy. "We've got some tough opponents in our way, but we'll beat them all, right Pikachu?" he asked, looking up to his partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, pumping his little fist.

"I'd love to see you battle that trainer with the Mega Scizor!" Kiawe said, somewhat dramatically, looking up as though imagining the scene in front of him. "That sounds like it would be quite the fight."

"I'd love to visit, too!" Lillie said excitedly, her Vulpix crying out in agreement. "I wonder if my mother..." she trailed off, looking embarrassed by whatever she was going to say.

Nobody seemed to notice, Mallow and Lana simply nodding in agreement about wanting to go as well. "Or maybe Ash can come and visit us again!" Sophocles suggested, looking hopefully to Ash.

Ash just smiled, a little unsure of what to say. He definitely still wanted to see more of Alola, and the Trials he'd heard about sounded very intriguing. _There's so much more to do in the world. There's so much more to see and explore._

"Well, we can't pester Ash too much about what's to come," Hala finally said, as he looked over towards the airport entrance. "I expect you'll need to board fairly soon."

Ash nodded, sighing as he looked to his new group of friends again. He was excited to see his friends back in Kalos, but he did hope he could see his Alolan friends again someday soon. "Good luck with the rest of your semester, guys. And keep training hard!"

He was surrounded suddenly, his friends making sure to hug and high five him, along with Pikachu. They promised to support him in whatever way they could for his future IPL matches, and to do what they could in finding more about Greninja. He then shook hands with both Hala and Kukui, before kneeling down to say goodbye to Rockruff.

"Well, Rockruff, you've been a great friend since we've been here. I'm gonna miss you." Pikachu murmured his agreement, while Rockruff looked up, glancing at a smiling Kukui, before narrowing his eyes in what appeared to be a determined look.

"Ruff!" he barked out, standing up on two legs briefly to lick Ash's face.

Ash laughed, petting the Puppy Pokemon one last time before standing up, and turning around. As he walked towards the doors to enter the airport, he took one last look back, waving to his friends as he did so. Then, he entered, hearing a soft bark that he imagined was right behind him, as he left his Alolan friends to return to Kalos.

* * *

Serena could feel her eyelids getting heavy as the class went on, the exhaustion of the week's classes and training finally taking their toll on her. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, the teacher, a Pokemon reporter named Alexa, giving a very interesting lesson for her new history class. Serena simply had a lot more on her mind, and had been working hard since the semester started up again.

The sound of deep breathing next to her alerted her to another student having fallen asleep, and Serena just wished she would be able to stop herself from doing the same. Fortunately, Shauna was at her other side, taking notes by writing fairly loudly, as though forcing herself to stay awake that way. It was more than Serena could manage at the moment, though.

She focused as hard as she could for the final few minutes of the class, however, and then Alexa began to wind down the lesson. "And so," she said, pointing to a picture she had projected onto a screen, of a statue of a young man, "Jan attempted to defeat Yveltal. Unfortunately, it ended with his defeat." She looked at the clock in the room and clicked the projector off. "We'll continue this story next week. Have a good weekend!"

As the class wrapped up, Serena and Shauna quickly gathered up their things, both with renewed energy. The first training session for their next IPL match was today, so they wanted to get there as fast as they could, even if Fantina would be showing up a bit later, and the start of the session would be with the battling team.

Luckily for them, they were sitting near the door, so they didn't get stuck behind the crowd of students heading for the exit. They were the first out the building, and heading to the training facilities fairly quickly. It wasn't too far of a walk for them, but as more students emerged from some of the other buildings, things got a little more crowded.

Eventually, however, the two performers managed to get out of the thickest parts of the crowds, and were on their way soon enough. Before too long, they saw the training facilities up ahead, and picked up their pace to get there. They noticed Dawn and Marie approaching as well as they got closer, the latter with her Chikorita out.

"Planning on joining the IPL training today, Marie?" Shauna asked, smiling as she greeted the small grass type.

"If Flint and Agatha don't mind. Since Ash isn't back yet, we need an extra anyway, right?" Serena nodded, thinking it wouldn't be an issue even if Ash was there. Marie was pretty much on the team anyway. Perhaps she would challenge for a spot next year.

"Speaking of Ash, have you guys seen Professor Sycamore?" Dawn asked, eyes shining with excitement.

Serena shook her head, tilting her head curiously. "No, is something wrong in Alola?"

Dawn laughed, turning as she began to lead the way inside the training facilities. "No! Ash is coming back! He left Alola this morning!"

Serena felt her heart suddenly racing with excitement, and couldn't control the huge smile that came to her face. "Really?!" was all she could say in response.

Shauna giggled, giving Serena a playful nudge. "Try to play it cool, Serena."

That didn't seem to be easy for any of them, and as they entered the battlefield room, they could see Clemont, Trevor and Tierno excitedly talking in a group. It seemed they had heard as well. Clemont was the first to notice the girls.

"Did you guys hear the news?" he asked, turning to them when they approached.

"Yeah, things will finally be back to normal around here," Dawn said, looking excitedly around at the team. "Just in time for our next IPL match, too."

"I hope Ash managed to get some help with his Greninja," Serena said, remembering how excited he'd been to see what else he could find out. "They must've been working really hard."

"Ash should be fine no matter what," Clemont pointed out confidently. "Whatever he worked on, he'll be able to make use of it. I bet he'll just be excited to get back to training for the IPL and winning our next match."

As if on cue, the doors opened once more, revealing Agatha and Flint entering the area. The two coaches noticed the group right away, heading over when they saw them. They seemed to be pretty excited to get started as well. Serena supposed that just like Ash, if they weren't as enthusiastic as they were about Pokemon battles, they wouldn't be where they were now.

Once the greetings were finished, Flint spoke up first about what they'd be working on. He didn't have specific instructions for the performing team, as Fantina would give those when she's arrived, but invited them to be part of some of the battle exercises. "Considering we're up against the Shalour team in our next match, I think we need to be ready for Korrina and her Lucario most of all." He looked at Clemont, smiling confidently. "I suppose you'll be taking on Korrina again, Clemont?"

Clemont blushed, and Serena couldn't help but giggle a little, along with Shauna. "Um...yeah, I guess so," he answered. "I'll be ready," he added after a moment, taking a deep breath and looking a little more confident.

"And Trevor, I guess you'll take on your opponent from our last match with them?" Flint asked, looking to the boy holding up his camera, looking through his pictures of some of the previous training sessions.

Trevor nodded, though, looking up right away. "Yeah, as long as Ash is fine with his opponent."

"I guess we'll find out when he gets-"

"I'm fine with it!"

The group went completely silent for a moment, and then, all at once, they turned around, eyes widening and huge smiles coming to their faces. "Ash!"

He was swarmed immediately, the entire team rushing to him in excitement. There were hugs and high fives for Ash, and pets for Pikachu. When Serena hugged Ash, she didn't even think of their last meeting, when she'd kissed him on the cheek at the airport, or of their dance in Coumarine City. She was just glad to have him back, being one of her closest friends.

When she stepped back, she thought she noticed a brown shape scurrying away behind him, but just assumed it was another trainer's Pokemon running around. "So how was Alola?" when she looked back at him. "Did you learn more about Greninja?"

Ash sighed, looking unsure of how to answer that. "I guess...maybe. Not as much as I would've liked to. We got to do some intense training against Hala's Crabominable, though, and I got to face off against some Z-Moves!" He then pulled out a pokeball and opened it up, Riolu emerging with a cheer and immediately jumping up into Serena's arms. "And Riolu beat a Pokemon that was using a Z-Move! And he also learned Metal Claw!"

"Wow, that's great Riolu!" Serena exclaimed, the others all adding their congratulations as well. The young fighting type seemed pleased. "I can tell that you look even stronger since the last time we saw each other."

"Ruru!" Riolu cheered happily, hugging her, before sitting on her shoulder.

"Catch any Pokemon while you were there, Ash?" Flint asked, looking curiously in the direction of the brown shape Serena had seen.

"Uh..." Ash looked a little embarrassed for some reason, glancing at Serena. "I've still got my old Pokemon."

Serena gave him a questioning look, but he just shrugged. She got the sense he wanted to wait to talk about whatever it was he was hiding, and she let it go. Then, Agatha stepped forward, peering at Ash, and then Pikachu.

"Well, Ash, I am curious to see what this trip did for you if you didn't come away with a clear answer for your Greninja, or a new Pokemon." Serena and the others watched in shock as the Kanto Elite Four member then pulled out a pokeball and held it up challengingly. "How about we begin our training session with a little warmup battle?"

Serena would've laughed if she hadn't been so surprised. There was probably no better way to welcome back Ash than to give him a battle. A battle with Agatha of all people was all the sweeter for him. She was almost surprised he didn't teleport onto the battlefield, although he came as close as possible to doing just that, while his friends laughed.

"Watch closely, kids," Agatha said to the others, "this will still be useful for you I expect." She nodded to Flint. "You may learn something as well, young man."

Flint laughed, although he looked a little nervous as the older Elite Four member stepped up onto the battlefield. He took the referee's position, while the others gathered together on the sidelines. They weren't the only ones, either, as a few other students noticed Agatha preparing to battle, and were rightfully interested in watching.

"We'll make this a good old fashioned one on one battle, all right, Ash?" Agatha called out to him.

Ash nodded, narrowing his eyes as he readied himself for the challenge. He then looked up to Pikachu, who looked equally as focused, and the electric type launched himself from Ash's shoulder, sliding along the ground in front of him, before stopping, ready to face whoever Agatha sent out against him.

"I'm in the mood for a rematch, how about you, Pikachu?" Agatha said, smirking as she tossed out her pokeball, a large, purple ghostly Pokemon emerging. It looked menacing, its grin giving Serena chills. _That's a tough looking Gengar,_ she thought, looking nervously at Ash and Pikachu. To her surprise, they looked even more excited than before.

"You may have beaten us back in Kanto a few years ago, but this time is gonna be different!" Ash vowed, holding a fist up in challenge, Pikachu mimicking the gesture in front of him.

"Well let's see what you've got!" Agatha challenged.

Their words had the gathered crowd murmuring excitedly. As big a challenge as an Elite Four member was, there was no doubt that people believed Ash up to the task. Serena and her friends joined the rest in looking on with excitement. As soon as Flint made the call to begin the battle, everyone went silent, not wanting to miss a moment.

"Electro-Ball!"

"Shadow Ball!"

The two spherical attacks, one of sparking electrical energy, and the other of dark shadowy energy, collided hard at the centre of the battlefield. Serena felt the area around them shake with the force of the attacks, and winced as smoke billowed out from in front of them. As it cleared, though, neither Pokemon seemed affected, both tensed and ready to see what would come next.

"Excellent!" Agatha said with a smirk. "Lots of power in that Electro-Ball. Let's see about Pikachu's speed. Gengar, use Double Team!"

"Gengar!" Gengar called out ominously, suddenly multiplying and surrounding Pikachu. Within a few seconds, the electric type had a circle around him with the menacing grin of the Shadow Pokemon staring at him in all directions.

"You'd better hurry, Ash," Agatha warned, narrowing her eyes. "Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

Serena looked at Ash nervously, wondering if he had a counter. For some reason, though, he seemed to be waiting.

"Garrr!" Gengar then cried out, dark orbs of black energy appearing all around Pikachu. He was trapped, now.

"Ru..." Serena heard Riolu whimper, the Emanation Pokemon sounding nervous for his trainer.

"Iron Tail!" Ash then shouted, Pikachu's tail glowing white almost immediately. "Back to back!"

Serena's eyes widened, shocked to see the surprise on Agatha's face after Ash's order. And it wasn't surprise that Ash had called a poor attack. Unfortunately for her, though, Gengar had already unleashed his attack.

As the dark orbs converged on Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon struck the ground hard with Iron Tail, propelling himself up into the air just as the attacks met in the centre. However, he wasn't done there, moving in one smooth movement to strike hard across one Shadow Ball beneath him, just as the others moved further away and vanished. He launched it back in the direction it came at twice the speed.

"Garrr!" Gengar was hit hard by his own attack, the shadow exploding against him and surrounding him in black and purple smoke.

"Now, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, pumping his fist in excitement.

"Quick Attack?" Clemont whispered in confusion. "But..."

Serena had a feeling Ash had a plan for the ineffective move, however, watching Pikachu dart towards Gengar, too fast for either the Shadow Pokemon or its trainer to react. Then, Pikachu was propelling himself into Gengar, passing through with his Quick Attack, just as any normal type attack would do against a ghost type.

"Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu PIKA!" Pikachu seemed to know the order was coming, spinning while he passed through the ghost type and then slamming his tail hard against its back, sending it flying across the battlefield, crying out in surprise and pain. The crowd gasped in surprise, stunned by the control Ash was taking in the battle.

"You'd better watch out, Agatha," Flint said to her, chuckling. "Ash might take your spot at the Indigo Plateau."

Agatha chuckled at that, although her eyes were narrowed in focus. Serena knew this was far from over, and it seemed Ash did as well. "Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" he shouted, looking like he wanted to stay on the offensive, almost as though he was avoiding something.

"Double Team, one more time!" Agatha countered quickly, looking a little relieved as the electrical energy narrowly missed Gengar as he multiplied just in time. A few copies disappeared as the Thunderbolt spread out, but it appeared as though Gengar had remained safe.

Ash then paused a moment, watching both Agatha and the remaining Gengar copies, as though he was hoping they'd make the next move this time. They didn't seem to be, however, so he called his next order. "Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu responded, darting away quickly, heading towards the first group of Gengar copies in front of him. He struck them quickly, passing through them, but making them disappear, narrowing down the rest to a small group near the centre of the battlefield.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Shadow Ball!"

"Chuuu!" Pikachu cried out, sending out the attack towards the Gengar copies. It struck, but just as one almost seemed to be flattening itself to the ground, sliding along before popping up behind Pikachu with a dark sphere in front of him.

"Gar!"

"Pika!"

Pikachu was hit hard, the Shadow Ball hitting him in the side as he turned around. He was sent flying across the battlefield, but he managed to right himself quickly, landing on his feet and turning around to make sure he was ready for the next attack.

"Why is Agatha only using two moves?" Clemont asked, although not really to anyone in particular. "It's almost like she's trying to wear Pikachu down for some kind of combo attack."

Serena was wondering the same thing. Even though Pikachu had landed a couple of good attacks, he was being forced to be particularly precise. That focus would be hard to keep up, even for him and Ash. If they slipped up once, whatever Agatha wanted to do could be it for the match.

"Shadow Ball again Gengar!" Agatha ordered, thrusting her arm forward, looking as though she was more into the match now.

"Get around it with Iron Tail!" Ash countered, punching the air in his excitement.

Both Pokemon acted quickly, the shadowy sphere firing towards Pikachu instantly. However, the Mouse Pokemon used his speed well, his tail glowing brightly before he flipped and used it to propel himself over the Shadow Ball. He approached Gengar quickly with the move and swung around again, striking the Shadow Pokemon with a mighty swing of his tail.

"Gengarrr!" Gengar cried out, staggering back as Pikachu was propelled back up into the air, smirking in satisfaction from his attack. Serena could see Agatha smiling, though, and found out why a moment later.

"He's open now, Gengar! Use Hypnosis!"

Ash seemed to tense up at that, but he was still ready apparently. "Pikachu send an Electro-Ball up! Quickly!"

As Pikachu descended to the ground he quickly fired up an orb of electricity, just as Gengar straightened and raised his arms, eyes flashing red. A shadowy aura seemed to surround Pikachu a moment later, and then his eyes became heavier. He stumbled, trying to blink away the tiredness that was taking over him.

"Now, use Dream Ea-"

Agatha stopped, shocked as Ash's plan came into effect. Pikachu's Electro-Ball descended towards him, and just as Pikachu looked like he was about to collapse from the Hypnosis, it struck him, sparks flying in all directions.

"Pika!" the electric mouse called out happily as the smoke cleared around him, eyes bright.

Agatha laughed as she looked at the scene in front of her. "You never cease to amaze me, Ash." She then locked eyes with her Gengar. "All right, Gengar, use Shadow Ball, and then Double Team!"

Ash grinned, and Serena got the sense that this battle was heating up. "Iron Tail, and then use Quick Attack!"

The Shadow Ball rushed towards Pikachu immediately, the electric mouse flinging himself over it with Iron Tail, before darting towards the copies of Gengar that were now emerging across the battlefield. He swept across, his Quick Attack making him hard to follow, eliminating the copies as fast as they could come up.

Agatha wasn't going to let him eliminate them all, however, ordering a Shadow Ball to slow him down, Pikachu and Ash needing to be cautious of the real one as they darted around in all directions. When one exploded to Pikachu's right, however, they seemed to identify their target, turning quickly to what must've been the real Gengar. Agatha was ready once again, though, using the combo once more and forcing Pikachu on the move.

When another explosion seemed to alert Pikachu and Ash to Gengar's location again, though, Ash was prepared, ordering a Quick Attack and an Iron Tail. Just like before, Pikachu darted towards the Shadow Pokemon at full speed, passing through, before swinging around with his glowing tail. Agatha, seemed to know it was coming, though.

"Hypnosis!"

Pikachu managed to land his attack, striking Gengar in the chest with a mighty Iron Tail. However, he couldn't escape the eye contact Gengar made right before, the Shadow Pokemon having turned to face him. Just like before, his eyes glowed red, just before a shadowy aura surrounded Pikachu. As Gengar staggered back from Pikachu's attack, the Mouse Pokemon hit the ground, blinking hard as though trying to avoid the sleep that pulled at him.

Unfortunately, he couldn't fight it, glancing one last time at Ash before his eyes closed and he fell forward.

"Finish with Dream Eater!"

As a black shadow surrounded Pikachu, Serena knew it was over, seeing Ash sigh in disappointment. Flint made the call a moment later.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Agatha and Gengar are the winners."

The crowd applauded, and as Agatha and Ash went to their Pokemon, Serena and her friends joined in. Losing didn't seem to matter in the end with this battle. Ash had gone toe to toe with an Elite Four member and with another attack or two, he might've won it. Agatha seemed to know it, too, looking at her exhausted Gengar.

The crowd began to disperse in the next few minutes, and once Agatha and Ash had made sure their Pokemon were all right, they got down off the battlefield, gathering with the team. They both seemed happy, which Serena was glad to see. Of course, the whole team seemed happy, just having had the chance to see Ash battle again.

"Well, I think you've done well enough in Alola," Agatha said simply. "You should be ready for our next match."

Ash laughed at that, exchanging a smile with Pikachu. "I hope so. I can't wait to get started again."

At that moment, Fantina made her way to them, apparently having arrived during the battle. After a quick greeting and welcoming Ash back, she looked to Serena and the rest of the Performance Team. "Well, I suppose it's time zat we get started."

Flint nodded, looking to the Battle Team. "I agree. Let's take that battlefield over there," he said, pointing to the next battlefield over from the one they were at. He and Agatha led the way, while Trevor and Clemont followed. Fantina then stepped onto the battlefield they were at already, with Tierno, Shauna and Dawn going up with her. Serena was about to follow, but Ash called out to her, stepping away from the group.

Serena felt her heart flutter a bit, but managed to steady herself and follow him over to a quieter area. She looked curiously at Ash, wondering what he wanted to say. He seemed a little nervous himself, and she couldn't help but wonder if...

She shook her head, focusing on him as he finally spoke. "So...um...I missed you guys in Alola," Ash said awkwardly. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back," Serena told him, smiling as Riolu cheered from her shoulder. "I missed you a lot, too. We all did."

Ash scratched his neck nervously, then his hand went to his waist, pulling out a pokeball. "I was with some friends I made at the school in Alola, and we came across something...I thought of you right away when we did."

Serena looked curiously at the pokeball, and then him. "What...what do you mean?"

Ash took a deep breath and then smiled more confidently. "Let's just say, I met someone who loves to perform as much as you. I thought you two would hit it off." He then held out the pokeball. "I told her all about you, and she's really excited to meet you."

Serena's eyes widened, her heart beating with excitement. She slowly reached out, taking the pokeball from Ash, and then held it up in front of herself, staring at it. She felt it wiggle a little in her hand, and couldn't help but smile. "Ash...I..." She didn't know what to say, so she just looked back at the pokeball, before finally clicking it open.

"Pop popplio!" said the blue sea lion Pokemon that emerged, clapping its flippers together, before blowing three bubbles into the air and juggling them briefly. It then popped each of them, before bowing in the show of watery sparkles.

Serena instantly cheered, Riolu joining along with her. "Oh wow! That was so good!" she exclaimed, looking at Ash excitedly.

He laughed, looking at the Pokemon, who appeared to be very pleased by the reception. "There's more where that came from. Trust me. Popplio's a real performer."

Serena knelt down in front of Popplio, looking the Sea Lion Pokemon in the eye. "Is that true, Popplio?" When it nodded, she smiled even wider. "And would you like to perform with me?"

"Popplio!" she cried out, flapping her flippers together and hopping forward, hugging Serena.

Serena hugged her new Pokemon back, amazed at the instant connection she felt to it. _How could Ash have known how perfect this would be?_ She looked at him, barely able to speak. "Ash...I don't...how can I thank you?"

"Just be Popplio's best friend, and let her perform with you."

Serena knew that would never be a problem.

 **Author's Note:**

Ash has returned, and Serena has her Popplio. Can life get any better for these Lumiose students? Hopefully the whole Pokemon as a gift thing worked out. But you know...Ash had the right feeling about these two. They were a perfect match. Just like...you know.

So, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. And, I'll have chapter 7 out next week. Might do the Wednesday/Friday thing regularly, but I'm not sure yet. We'll see. See you next time.


	7. Clemont's First Date

**Author's Note:**

Another chapter has arrived! I cannot be stopped! Anyway, this one's got a variety of stuff, so hopefully it's not too wild. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 7: Clemont's First Date**

Clemont was excited and nervous as he sat in class, listening to Flint as he gave his lesson on Movesets, using his Infernape as an example. The lesson was definitely informative, giving Clemont a few ideas, and making him consider a few new moves to work on with his Pokemon. It kept making him think of the weekend's upcoming IPL match, though, and more notably, _who_ was going to be visiting.

It was a big match, both for Lumiose's playoff hopes, and for Clemont personally. Going up against Korrina wasn't going to be easy. Clemont didn't even really know how to feel about it. It felt different from something like his battles with his friends in Professor Sycamore's tournament. It felt different from his last battle with Korrina as well.

The battle aside, though, he _had_ missed Korrina since he'd left Shalour City to go back to Lumiose for school. It had been fun spending some time with her and Bonnie, and catching Elekid with her cheering him on had been a real highlight. He did hope this meeting wouldn't just be about battling, though.

His eyes focused on Flint as he let his mind go back to the class, the Sinnoh Elite Four member appearing to be finishing the class off. "So, as you can see with Infernape, it's great to have a powerful fire type move such as Flare Blitz to put his typing to good use and take it to the opponent when you can, however, you need to also have another option or two for when your opponent is ready for a fire type. Infernape uses speed and force, so you can build around those strengths as well."

With that, he gave a few instructions for a small report for the students to do before the next class, and everyone was dismissed. Ash was up in an instant, looking excitedly to Clemont and Trevor, ready to get going right away. It was definitely nice to have Ash back, Clemont couldn't deny that, but it also meant moving a lot quicker than he usually preferred.

The three of them left quickly, Ash leading the way. Clemont supposed he couldn't exactly blame him, as they were expected to be out front of the Pokemon Centre with the others. Although they needed to head to their dorms first to put on their uniforms. Fortunately, Ash's determination to get ready opened up the space they needed to get through the crowds. Of course, once the other students recognized who they were, they moved aside anyway, knowing they needed to get to their meeting.

When they arrived at the Greninja building, Clemont and Ash headed in, telling Trevor they'd meet him at the Pokemon Centre with the others. They hopped on the elevator once they were inside, and once it reached their floor, Ash led the way to their room. Clemont couldn't help but laugh to himself, thinking of how much Ash clearly wanted to get back to battling in the IPL. He probably wanted to put his training to good use, and after seeing his match with Agatha, Clemont couldn't blame him.

As Clemont got into his uniform, his mind went once more to his own upcoming battle. He knew Korrina would obviously be using Lucario, so he was going to have to have something ready to keep up with it. If Grotle was a bit more trained up, he might've had a good chance, with his ability to draw opponents in and strike hard when he had the chance. Clemont wasn't so sure he was ready for this kind of opponent, though. He supposed it was only fair to give Luxray the second chance, however.

He smiled to himself, wondering if Korrina was planning her strategy around what he might use. _I've got to keep my guard up in case she tries to find out my strategies,_ he thought, laughing the idea away quickly, though.

As Clemont stepped out of his room, he noticed Ash waiting to leave and made his way to the door. As they stepped out, they notice Serena and Shauna down the hall, the two of them both in uniform as well. Serena had her new Popplio that Ash had given her out, too, with a pink scarf around its neck that it seemed quite pleased with.

"Popplio got really jealous of Pancham's sunglasses," Serena explained with a laugh, as she and Shauna set off to the elevators with Ash and Clemont. "She doesn't like being outdone in any way."

"She's just extra determined!" Ash said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You look great, Popplio!"

"Pop!"

Once they'd gone down the elevator, and left the building, Ash seemed a little more willing to slow down, now that they had Serena and Shauna with them. Of course, slow for Ash was still a little too fast for Clemont's liking. Fortunately, he was able to keep up well enough, though, and by the time they reached the Pokemon Centre, he wasn't too out of breath.

They were the first of their team to arrive, although Professor Sycamore and their coaches were there. Clemont assumed that Marie was probably there as well, but just in the Pokemon Centre. When they came to a stop in front of their teachers, Professor Sycamore went up to Serena, looking curiously at her new Popplio.

"So this is the Popplio Ash caught in Alola?" he asked, bending down and looking at the Alolan Pokemon curiously. "Fantina says it's showing quite a talent for performing."

"She seems to be a real natural," Serena said, laughing as Popplio nodded to confirm. "I won't be using her in our match against Shalour, but she'll be watching closely to learn a little more about how everything works, and I bet she'll be ready for the next match."

That didn't seem to please Popplio, and Clemont was a little worried the water type might show its displeasure again as it had a few times, but fortunately, Serena seemed able to keep it calm. Clemont had wished he'd had that ability when Grotle was more wild as a Turtwig.

"So, Ash and Clemont," Flint spoke up, taking their attention away from Serena and Sycamore's conversation. "You guys have your strategies set for your battles yet? I know you've been wondering what to do with Korrina's Lucario, Clemont. I take it you'll want revenge for Pikachu, right Ash?"

"Yeah, Pikachu's got this one, right buddy?" Ash confirmed, smiling up at his partner Pokemon.

"Pika!"

Clemont hesitated, but he nodded. "I'm going with Luxray again."

"A Pokemon with something to prove is a powerful thing," Flint said, nodding. "I'm sure this'll be very different from our last match with these guys."

They talked for a couple more minutes, Ash describing a couple of combinations he was working on with Pikachu, before Tierno, Trevor and Dawn arrived. Once they were there, Marie emerged from the Pokemon Centre shortly after. It was exciting being assembled as a team again. Clemont knew they all wanted to win this and get into the race to make the IPL playoffs.

Ash was the first to see the bus that was obviously holding the Shalour College IPL team. Clemont could feel his heart beat a little faster as it came down the road, slowing to a stop in front of the Pokemon Centre. He'd only talked to Korrina a few times since their trip, so he wasn't sure how to approach the fact they'd be battling once more.

When she emerged, followed by the Shalour Performance Team captain, Dusk, she looked right at Clemont, though, excitement in her eyes. She did the now traditional captain's handshake, though, with her and Dusk greeted by Ash and Dawn, while Professor Sycamore and the Lumiose coaches greeted Gurkinn and their Shalour counterparts.

Once that was done, though, the mood was immediately more casual. While the rest of the trainers mingled, Korrina immediately went to Clemont, surprising him with a hug. "Clemont! I've missed you since you and Bonnie left. It seems like it's been so long!"

Clemont laughed nervously, awkwardly returning the hug before she stepped back a moment later. He caught Shauna smirking at him from behind Korrina, and tried to ignore it as he answered the Shalour Gym Leader. "Yeah, I've...missed you...too." He coughed, trying to straighten himself out. "How's Vivillon doing?"

Korrina smiled at that, appearing quite pleased. "Really well! Flying better every day. I think it'll be able to try some attacks soon enough." She then widened her eyes, looking excited. "How about Elekid? I bet he's already close to evolving into Electabuzz now!"

Clemont pulled out the electric type's pokeball, releasing it out in front of him. "Not quite yet, but I think he's coming along pretty well."

"Bee bee!" When Elekid saw Korrina, his eyes lit up in excitement and he ran up to her, giving her a quick hug himself, before backing away, appearing almost embarrassed.

Korrina didn't seem to notice, though, looking happy to see her old helper in searching the Shalour forests. "You look great, Elekid! I hope I'm not battling _you_ tomorrow!"

Clemont gulped nervously at that, but Korrina seemed pretty excited, looking expectantly at him. He decided he might as well go with the excitement of an upcoming battle as well. "I can't reveal my strategy," he said, adjusting his glasses and smirking.

"Maybe I can figure it out tonight," Korrina suggested, suddenly looking a little awkward herself. "I'd like to look around Lumiose City. It would be nice to have a guide..."

Clemont could feel his face heating up at that, but did his best to keep his cool. _She doesn't want to go on a...no of course not! Or...does she? What am I supposed to do?_ He glanced at Ash, who was talking to his opponent for tomorrow's battle, the two of them looking pretty excited about the upcoming match. _What would Ash say?_ He shook his head. Doing what Ash would do in this situation might not be the best thing. He took a deep breath, realizing that this was something he did want. He liked spending time with Korrina, and if she wanted to spend some more time with him...well, there was no reason not to. He smiled. "Yeah, I'd like to do that."

His confidence was shaken quickly after that, though, as a voice suddenly cried out from behind him. "Korrina! Has Clemont asked you to take care of him yet?!"

As Bonnie rushed up from behind him, Clemont's eyes widened and he turned around, noticing his dad standing on the sidewalk, looking slightly apologetic. "Sorry," he said, chuckling as Bonnie hugged a laughing Korrina. "Bonnie wanted to see you guys." He then glanced away, seemingly avoiding eye contact. "And...er...I've got an errand to run, so if you wouldn't mind watching her..."

"Dad!" Clemont said in exasperation. "We-"

"Oh! Bonnie! Do you want to hang out with me?" He turned back around to see Shauna appearing next to Korrina and Bonnie. Fortunately, Bonnie had grown fond of her during their project with the egg, although she seemed hesitant, glancing at Korrina. Shauna then bent down and whispered something in Bonnie's ear, and they both giggled. That made Clemont suspicious, but as she straightened up, Shauna, gave him a thumbs up.

"Can I go with Shauna?" Bonnie then asked Meyer.

"Sure thing. I can pick you up at the dorm later then." Meyer gave a wave and then set off, giving Clemont a knowing look before doing so.

"How embarrassing," Clemont muttered, shaking his head before looking to Korrina again, flustered as he saw her giggling with Shauna and Bonnie. _This is why Ash stays so focused on battling._

* * *

Shauna couldn't help but be curious about what Clemont and Korrina were going to do. She hadn't planned on following after them once she'd heard them talking about going out together, but once Clemont's dad had shown up with Bonnie, and it seemed the only way to give Clemont and Korrina a chance to go out alone, it seemed the only reasonable option.

"Do you think Korrina's going to keep my brother?" Bonnie whispered to Shauna as they set off, Shauna letting Serena and the others know she was going to be hanging out with Bonnie. Serena had seemed to figure out what was really going on, though, looking exasperated.

"Maybe, but I guess we need to make sure Clemont doesn't screw up, right?" Shauna answered, Bonnie giggling in response. "But Clemont's made it this far," she pointed out. "I think he can do this."

Bonnie didn't look so sure. "I don't know...Clemont needs a lot of help with this stuff. I don't know what he'd do without me."

"Nenene," her Dedenne murmured in agreement.

Shauna laughed, hearing the fondness for her brother in Bonnie's voice. "Well, we won't let him mess it up. But, we can't interfere while it's going well, so we can't be seen."

Bonnie nodded, and she was very careful to follow Shauna's lead as the two of them trailed after Clemont and Korrina. At a few points, Shauna wondered if Clemont suspected them, noticing him looking back at various points. Fortunately, she and Bonnie were able to slip around a corner each time before he noticed them. She couldn't help but wonder if some of the people around were thinking they were up to something bad, but nobody bugged them.

As the evening went on, things got a little boring, and Shauna was pretty close to suggesting that she and Bonnie head back and leave Clemont and Korrina be. She could see that Clemont's sister wasn't too thrilled with what they'd seen so far, either, with the walk around the city apparently really just being "a walk around the city".

However, as Clemont and Korrina stopped up ahead, and Shauna and Bonnie paused so as not to get too close, they overheard the two gym leaders.

"This has been pretty nice, Clemont," Korrina said, sighing contentedly as she looked up at Prism Tower in the distance. It was now lit up with the sun having gone down. "Anything you want to do next?"

Clemont blinked, looking unsure. "Well...I guess...are you hungry?"

Shauna exchanged a look with Bonnie. "Clemont's a real gentleman, isn't he?"

Bonnie shrugged. "We'll see." She looked pretty amused, though.

Korrina thought for a moment, before looking out towards the exit of the city, the edge of the forest just in their view. "We could walk somewhere quieter." She patted her backpack. "I've got some snacks we can have later."

Clemont agreed and the two set off once more. Shauna wasn't too interested in heading to the forest at night, but before she could suggest going back, Bonnie was up ahead. She sighed, following after her, and before she knew it, the two of them were hiding behind trees as they followed Clemont and Korrina.

"I think we can leave them be now, Bonnie," Shauna said, glancing back towards the lights of Lumiose City. "We don't want it to get too late."

"It's fine," Bonnie argued. "Clemont needs me to watch out for him anyway." She took a step forward, and then paused, looking down at her feet as a noise was heard from underneath them.

"Kuna."

"What was that?" Shauna asked, looking around curiously.

Bonnie then gasped, and Shauna followed her gaze, seeing what she was stepping on. The younger girl quickly stepped away, hugging Dedenne tightly in fear as she looked at the angry Pokemon on the ground. "Oh no..."

"Ka...ku...na," the Pokemon murmured angrilly, rolling slightly.

"It's a Kakuna," Shauna said nervously, looking up and wondering if she should call out to Clemont for help. Unfortunately, he and Korrina already seemed to be gone. "I hope it wasn't with any..."

"Bzzz!"

It was a faint sound, but it wasn't too long before the Kakuna was calling out a bit louder. It was joined by a few others in the area as well. Then, a moment later, a Beedrill emerged from the bushes, rushing towards Bonnie. Shauna was reaching for a pokeball, knowing it was going to be too late, but fortunately, Dedenne was ready.

"Neneee!"

The Beedrill dropped to the ground, twitching, but Shauna knew it wasn't going to be long before another came. "We have to run!" she told Bonnie quickly, the other girl nodding before they took off.

"Bzzz!"

They veered off course as a couple of Beedrill emerged from the trees ahead of them. Shauna managed to get find an opening to the left and ran, avoiding one as it struck out. She called for Bonnie and continued to run, twisting and turning as a few more Beedrill emerged. Fortunately, she managed to find an open path and was able to pick up some speed, and before too long, the buzzing Beedrill were only heard in the distance.

Shauna stopped, realizing she was at the edge of the forest and on the path leading back into the city. She sighed in relief and looked to her side. "What a relief. I hope Clemont and Korrina are-"

Her eyes widened, and she turned around, staring in all directions.

"Bonnie?!"

* * *

Ash and his friends were making their way back from quick training session with their coaches, when they noticed Shauna running towards them, looking completely flustered. Serena immediately went up to meet her, the others catching up as she managed to catch her breath. Then she quickly told them what had happened.

"Do you think she would've found Clemont and Korrina?" Serena asked, the group immediately setting off towards the forest. "If she was scared, she might've called out for help and found them."

"I don't know," Shauna said, panting as they ran. "It all happened so fast. She could've gone in any direction. I almost got lost just trying to get away."

Ash quickly reached down to get Dartrix's pokeball, figuring that they needed eyes in the sky to help them look. "Dartrix, I choose you," he called out, the flying grass type emerging in a flash of light. "Dartrix, we're looking for Clemont, Korrina and Bonnie. I need you to keep an eye out from the sky, okay?"

Dartrix nodded immediately, taking off over the trees as the group reached the edge of the forest a few moments later. When they entered, they slowed down, cautious for any signs of Beedrill, Kakuna or Weedle. It was getting fairly dark now, and Ash was wondering if Clemont and Korrina had found themselves in the same predicament as Shauna and Bonnie.

As they walked, the group reacted to every snap of a twig or rustle in the bushes. It didn't seem like anything was around them, but Ash couldn't help but feel like there was something hanging around behind them. He'd been feeling that a lot since returning from Alola, though, and he wondered if it was just his nerves over wanting to perfect things with Greninja.

After a few minutes, Shauna had grown pretty nervous, calling out for Bonnie louder and louder as they went. They also called out for Clemont and Korrina, but they didn't seem to be having any luck. However, as they were about to turn a corner and continue further on, Dartrix swooped down from above, looking frightened.

"Darooo!" he cried out, gesturing in the direction he'd come from. "Hooo!'

"You found them?" Ash asked, relief in his voice. He looked in the direction Dartrix was pointing to, but a moment later, he realized that it was more than that.

"RUN!"

It was Bonnie, bursting through the bushes at full speed, her Dedenne clutching tightly to her shoulder, while she ran. Behind her, a couple dozen Beedrill were chasing her, and Ash was pretty sure he heard more buzzing in the distance. As relieved as he and the others were to find Bonnie, they had no chance to say so, and they immediately took off after her as she ran.

They weren't as quick as they needed to be, running as a group with little room to maneuver around the trees and bushes. Ash stopped a few times, ordering Pikachu to fire off a Thunderbolt to slow the Beedrill down. They managed to knock a few down, but unfortunately a few of the ones he'd heard in the distance were catching up, replacing the ones they took down. A few times, Ash was sure a few fell down on their own, but he supposed that was just wishful thinking.

At one point, when Ash stopped to fight, Tierno joining him and calling out Chimchar, Ash heard the others cry out in surprise up ahead. As Pikachu and Chimchar sent a Thunderbolt and Flamethrower out towards their attackers, he heard a couple of familiar voices, and sighed in relief. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't all good news.

"This forest is full of Beedrill!" Korrina cried out, her Lucario standing behind her, looking ready to fight. Clemont's Elekid was also ready, looking in the opposite direction with wide eyes.

"They're coming from everywhere!" Dawn shouted, bringing Ash's attention to the direction they had been running, Bonnie stopping immediately and running back, Clemont hugging her in relief.

"We're going to have to fight!" Ash told them, Dartrix flying down to hover above Pikachu and Chimchar, while his friends who hadn't called out their Pokemon now did so. As the rest of the Beedrill surrounded them, Absol, Charizard, Piplup, Ivysaur and Chikorita were out, with Bonnie's Dedenne readying himself as well.

"We have to get as many as we can with each hit," Korrina said, looking around. "If we get one at a time, we've got no chance."

Ash nodded, locking eyes with Pikachu and Dartrix, before pointing ahead. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Dartrix, Ominous Wind!"

With that, the Beedrill swarmed forward, Ash's friends calling out their attacks as quickly as they could to answer. It was a mess of sights and sounds, with dust and smoke shooting up all around them and Beedrill falling and flying everywhere, while they buzzed loudly and the trainers and Pokemon yelled and cried out.

As Ash commanded Pikachu and Dartrix, he couldn't help but think this didn't just result from Bonnie and Shauna stumbling onto a Kakuna. There were too many upset Beedrill around here, and they'd targeted Clemont and Shauna as well. They almost seemed scared, rather than outright angry.

Eventually, the swarm thinned out enough for Ash and the others to see more clearly. He called a few more attacks, making a few more Beedrill flee, but most seemed to be fleeing of their own accord with their companions taking off around them. Most, but not all.

"Ash, watch out!" Serena suddenly called out.

He turned his head in surprise, seeing the black and yellow shape rushing towards him from his side, the sharp needles aimed at his face. It was too late for Pikachu, or any of the others to do anything. He put his arms up to defend his face, and waited for the impact.

"RRRUUUFFF!"

He waited a moment, unsure of the sound he'd heard, and then, he lowered his arms and looked up. To his surprise, the Beedrill was taking off, buzzing loudly. "What hap-"

Ash's eyes widened, looking down in front of him, at the Pokemon staring back. "Ruff!" it barked, wagging its tail.

"Rockruff? No way! What are you doing here?" He laughed, unable to stop the smile that came to his face. He looked to the others, who were staring back in surprise. "This Rockruff was in Alola. He hung out with Professor Kukui all the time."

"How did he get here?" Clemont asked, looking confused.

"I guess he followed me...hey have you been following me since the plane?" Ash asked, turning to Rockruff, who glanced down in embarrassment. Ash laughed it off. "I don't know if you should've done that, Rockruff, but you sure did help us out here. Thanks for that."

"Rrruff!" the Puppy Pokemon barked happily, leaping into Ash's arms.

Ash pet him for a moment, before suddenly, Rockruff tensed up, his nose pointing into the air. He sniffed, and then squirmed out of Ash's arms and walked a few feet away, sniffing more fiercely. He wasn't the only one, with Serena's Absol following soon after, looking tense and afraid. That made Ash's heart beat faster, and he looked at the others, wondering if they feared the same thing.

None of them spoke, but they could see it in each others' eyes. They slowly followed the two Pokemon, Rockruff leading the way without looking back, while Absol appeared to make sure that the others were staying with them. He focused mostly on Serena, who nodded in encouragement. Ash looked to Pikachu as they followed, ready to battle once more if they needed to.

When Rockruff finally came to a stop, the scent trail having led them to their destination, he stopped, frozen in terror. A moment later, he backed away and then ran to Ash. Absol was too afraid to even do that, simply crouching and laying still on the ground.

"The hunters," Ash whispered, fury in his voice.

All around them, were empty cages, with blood and fur scattered between them.

* * *

Meowth, with Jessie, James and Wobbuffett, hid in the bushes, not making a sound as the twerps ran off. It sounded like they were going to be alerting Officer Jenny to the scene that was in front of them, and for once, Meowth was glad that the police would be here. Of course, he and the others would need to be gone by then. They wanted to know what this was before they left though.

"This...is..." Jessie said slowly, stepping out of the bushes and looking around at the mess of cages around them. "I..."

"I don't like this," James whimpered, backing away from a cage quickly as he noticed some blood near the front of it. "We should go."

Meowth stared around, eyes wide with fear. They'd been watching the twerps closely since returning to Kalos, but there hadn't been a good chance to make any attempts at stealing Pokemon or trying to get the boss a Key Stone or Mega Stone. They had been planning to go after Pikachu when they'd seen the twerps head into the forest, but the Beedrill had gotten in their way. After that, they'd found...this.

"You don't think da boss treats Pokemon like dis, do ya?" Meowth couldn't help but ask. Part of him, deep down, knew the answer, but he'd never let himself admit it.

"Of course not. Team Rocket has standards!" Jessie argued, although there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

"it doesn't matter what the boss does. Not right now," James pointed out, staring around nervously. He looked sick, and Meowth couldn't blame him. "Should we report this?"

"We need to take care of it," Jessie said, shaking her head. "We need to stop it."

Meowth perked up at that. As terrifying as the scene in front of them was, it was true. It needed to be stopped. It wasn't that they wanted to help the twerps, or be good guys, but they needed to prove villains weren't...like this. And they needed these hunters out of their way to take over Kalos.

As he opened his mouth to answer, he heard a noise in the distance. Jessie and James seemed to hear it as well, and the trio quickly darted behind some bushes, Jessie pulling Wobbuffett behind them, and holding her hands over his mouth to keep him quiet. A moment later, they saw a man.

It was a man in a suit, with purple hair, and intimidating black eyes. He appeared quite business like as he walked around, inspecting the cages and looking around, as though he knew people had been around. Meowth was sure he was going to find them hiding, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be a good thing if that happened. Fortunately, the man was distracted as his cell phone rang and he picked it up.

"Yes, this is Raphael," he answered gruffly, looking around and sighing in exasperation. Whoever was on the line seemed to be asking a question. "Yes, it appears as though our transfer station wasn't cleared out in time. Some kids from the school have found it. They'll be alerting the authorities now."

Meowth exchanged a look with Jessie and James. He could see Jessie wanted to attack, and he was tempted to as well. Of course, this man wasn't likely to go down easily, so he felt it was wise they didn't act on that impulse.

"The hideout should be secure. Someone should check it just in case." He paused again, looking around before appearing to begin walking away. "Yes, start the experiment. We caught those Pokemon for a reason. I don't care what it does to them. Do it."

His voice trailed off, further instructions for whoever was on the other end of the call being given. Once his voice had faded completely and been gone for a few minutes, Meowth looked to his companions. They looked as shocked as him.

"We gotta deal with this guy and his group," Meowth said, narrowing his eyes in determination. "The boss would want us to." He knew he had to say that. They wouldn't report this to him until it was taken care of.

"Right." James nodded, swallowing nervously. "We can't let them get away with...this."

"Even if it means teaming up with the twerps," Jessie added, glaring in the direction the man went.

"For the glory of Team Rocket!"

 _And for the Pokemon these jerks are hurting._

 **Author's Note:**

So Clemont had a date...but you know...it can't be that easy. The bigger thing is the hunters are back! And Team Rocket is not having any of it. Good guys Team Rocket is the best Team Rocket. With Ash back, the IPL in its stretch run, and the hunter activity picking up, the rest of this story will be hectic and fast paced. Hope you're ready for it.


	8. The Race is On

**Author's Note:**

Ok...so...this chapter kind of went in it's own direction after a bit. I don't know what happened, but...I think it works? I don't know...it was fun. We'll see what you think. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 8: The Race is On**

Given the distractions on everyone's minds from the night before, Serena was surprised at how well Shauna and her opponent, Kathy, performed. It was a fairly typical Theme Performance, with the two performers tasked with identifying the specific berries needed to cure certain illnesses in Pokemon and then give them to a Pokemon pretending to have said illness. With Shauna having been taught well in Pokemon Health and Pokemon Nurtrition so far, it was a breeze for her to identify what the Pokemon was meant to be suffering from, and which berry to use. Her opponent did well, too, only missing one and falling just short due to that.

As the crowd applauded the performers and their efforts, and with Lumiose earning their first, and much needed, point of the weekend, Serena prepared for her own event that was coming. It would be her, Absol and Braixen taking on Shalour's chosen member. She remembered her name was Desiree and that she had a Medicham. Serena was sure Absol would manage, though. He was ready.

 _As long as last night didn't scare him too much._ Serena couldn't help but be worried about that. She knew that the hunters would probably be gone now, likely knowing the area had been found with the now heavy police presence there. It had everyone a little on edge, though. She had talked to Fantina about not using Absol, but the Disaster Pokemon seemed determined to participate as though he wanted to prove the hunters couldn't hurt him anymore.

Serena knew she needed to have faith in her Pokemon, though. They would get through this, and whatever those hunters were up to, together. And if he felt he could continue to get stronger by participating in this performance, then she would give him the chance. As Fantina announced the Freestyle Performance from the stage, Serena took one last look in the mirror to ensure her performing dress was ready, and then set out, Shauna wishing her luck as she stepped into the spotlight.

As she prepared herself for the performance, barely paying attention to Fantina's words and the crowd yelling, Serena looked for her friends. She could see them sitting near the front row, Ash and Riolu looking the most enthusiastic, with Popplio next to them with wide eyes. It gave her the extra push she needed, and she smiled as she called out her two Pokemon, seeing Desiree call out a Bellossom and Roserade. She was relieved the other girl hadn't opted for her Medicham.

It was decided that Desiree would start first, before Serena and her team took the stage. Then, the main part of the show would have them competing for the judges' attention. That was where Serena was most worried, knowing she needed to keep Absol at his best for that. She was sure Braixen would do well with leading the way, though. And, it sure was helpful knowing Shauna had earned them a point already.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen!" Fantina called out once Desiree was ready. "Let ze performance begin!"

Serena could see that Desiree had improved greatly since the last match between Shalour and Lumiose. She moved gracefully with her two grass types, fully taking advantage of their typing, and making use of their graceful natures and dancing abilities. As they used a combination of Sunny Day, Synthesis and Magical Leaf, they almost seemed to appear like plants dancing in a flowery field. They finished off with a stunning Petal Blizzard from Bellossom, and Serena knew it would be tough to follow.

"Sol!" Absol growled in determination, looking up at her with a smirk.

"You're right, Absol," Serena said to him, smiling brightly at him. "We can do this!"

Serena closed her eyes as she stood at the centre of the stage with Absol on her left and Braixen to her right. She could hear the crowd cheering, and felt a boost of confidence inside. She was excited to finally have a chance to show what she could do with Absol, and she was happy that Braixen would be alongside them to help him show how far he'd come.

"Serena...you may begin!"

"Braixen, Hidden Power! Absol, Psycho Cut!"

As she called out her orders, Serena and her Pokemon began moving immediately. Braixen was first, spinning out front of her trainer and firing up the blue orb. As she twirled back, Absol leaped out front, stretching out and spinning his head to send the pink, crescent-shaped attack up to slice the Hidden Power in two. As the split orb crashed back to the stage, Absol darting back to curl back behind Serena while Braixen pulled her forward, there was a shower of blue light.

"Fire Blast!" Serena then ordered, thrusting her palm forward, released from Braixen's spin as she aimed out towards the crowd.

"Braiii!" the Fox Pokemon cried out, jumping up and aiming her wand high up. She sent the five-pronged fire attack out over the crowd, making some people gasp, but Serena was ready to act.

Absol had shot forward, catching Braixen on his back as she descended back to the ground, and Serena spun back so she could stand behind him as she made her next order. "Psycho Cut, one more time!"

"Sol!" he growled, sending the psychic attack out once more. It curved around the Fire Blast, breaking off each end, causing it to explode into fireworks.

"Finish with Icy Wind!" Serena shouted, noticing her friends in the crowd looking surprised. The move hadn't been perfectly executed yet in front of them, but Serena had a gut feeling that Absol had worked too hard on it for it not to work now.

"AaabSOL!" He straightened out in front of Braixen once more, fur rising on his body, the air cooling all around him. Then, suddenly, a gust of wind burst out and up towards the the fiery sparks from Braixen's Fire Blast. Ice and snow were carried out, and seemed to freeze the remains of the fire attack, almost making it appear to snow over the crowd.

The audience went wild with applause, Fantina having to wait quite awhile before explaining the next stage of the performance, which would have Serena and Desiree competing for the judges' attention. Serena couldn't have felt more confident, now. She embraced Absol and Braixen, amazed by how each of them had performed so far.

"You did it, Absol! I knew you could!" She said, noticing the pride in the Disaster Pokemon's eyes. He still looked determined to fight, though, knowing there was still a little more to do.

They took their positions as the applause finally died down, and Serena took a deep breath, excited for the chance to take another step with Absol. It would be tougher to shock the crowd as much as they had so far, especially with Desiree likely more inspired to step up with something big. Having the judges attention to start would be an advantage, though, and Serena knew she just needed to focus on her Pokemon and herself. They would be fine if she just did that.

"Let us now continue!" Fantina called out, the crowd cheering with excitement. "Performers, show ze audience, and ze judges, everything you have!"

Serena heard Desiree quickly call for a Magical Leaf from one of her Pokemon and was quick to counter with calling her own. "Braixen, surround us with a ring of fire! Flamethrower!"

"Braixen brai!" Braixen nodded, holding her branch-wand up high, the tip already glowing with the beginnings of a flame. The Fox Pokemon ran forward, flames starting to spill out of her wand. As she ran to circle Serena and Absol, Serena could see that Desiree had already pulled off an impressive combination of Magical Leaf and Petal Blizzard, and knew they needed to act fast.

"Absol, use Detect and go in and out of the flames!" she ordered, stepping towards the front of the ring of fire herself, ready to meet Braixen as she finished.

"Sol!" The Disaster Pokemon nodded, looking almost excited to do the daring task. His eyes glowed as he ran, and then suddenly, he was leaping through a hole in the wall of flames surrounding them, and as the ring of fire rose up in front of Serena, she could hear the crowd gasping at Absol's bravery.

"Now, Braixen use Hidden Power!" Serena commanded, joining a hand with her Fox Pokemon, who aimed the attack straight up, before the two of them danced back to the centre, a gap in the flames revealing them the the crowd as Absol darted through.

The blue orb shot straight above them, and as before, Serena ordered Absol to break it with Psycho Cut. He did just that, but this time, two crescent-shaped attacks shot up, splitting the orb into four, the pieces falling perfectly around the ring of fire Braixen had created. As they hit the ground, blue sparks shot up, beginning to turn the flames blue where they landed.

"Icy Wind, Absol!" Serena ordered, aiming straight out as she and Braixen went to either side of the Disaster Pokemon.

"Sol!" he roared out, the fur rising on his body before a cold wind blew ice and snow out in front of him. This time, as it met the flames, it extinguished them, steam blowing out as ice and snow met fire. However, with the blue flames, from the Hidden Power attack, a blue smoke began to rise into the air.

"Absol, aim up and use Psycho Cut!" Serena shouted, eyes shining as she twirled back with Braixen.

Absol fired off the pink crescent-shaped attacks, and they seemed to spin like disks in the air. Serena noticed that Desiree was in the middle of a Sunny Day and Petal Blizzard combination, and she knew that her opponent was about to pull off a stunning display, so she knew this had to be done perfectly.

"Braixen, on Absol's back. Absol, use Double Edge to get in the air and Braixen, use Scratch on Psycho Cut!" Serena spun back as Braixen ran forward, Absol collecting her before bracing himself and launching himself upwards.

"Brai!" Braixen cried out, leaping off Absol once high enough. As he descended, she slashed out, shattering the Psycho Cut attacks that spun in the blue mist that the previous combination had created. As she struck them, they shattered. Then, as Braixen finished off, beginning to descend, the crowd cheered in delight, watching as the pink dust created from the broken Psycho Cuts appeared like stars in the blue mist.

"Braixen, now aim down with Flamethrower, and Absol, up with Icy Wind!" Serena then commanded, watching as Braixen descended to the ground. She ran forward as the two Pokemon unleashed their attacks, coming to a stop underneath them, the ice colliding with the flames and creating a shower of water, while Braixen's descent was slowed and she landed softly next to Serena. Serena then ordered another Icy Wind from Absol, before joining hands with Braixen.

"Sol!" Absol did as asked, and as the water descended on them, he froze it all around them, creating what appeared to be an arch of ice, before he went to Serena's side.

Then, the three line up together, and bowed, the crowd going wild. Serena noticed Desiree's routine finishing up as well, and while she managed to pull off another impressive combination with a couple more grass attacks, it was clear who the crowd and the judges were watching.

Her friends cheered even louder as she was announced the winnner.

* * *

"Vivillon, finish with Gust! Quilava, Flamethrower!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes, glancing quickly at the clock to see that only a few seconds remained, the scores nearly identical between her and Dusk. Fortunately, the opposing Coordinator had little room, his Pokemon panting from the exhaustion of his last combination, which he'd clearly hoped would end the match in his favour. Fortunately, Vivillon's Friend Guard ability had been enough to protect them.

The flames from Quilava's Flamethrower burned hot, almost covering the whole stage, before Vivillon's Gust had propelled it forward with full force. Dusk's Gengar and Drifblim were sent flying back, landing hard on the ground in front of their trainer, bodies smoking as the buzzer signalled the end of the match.

 _BZZZ!_

"And ze winner of the double contest battle is..." Fantina called out excitedly, as the points were shown side by side. "Dawn! Lumiose University collects it's fourth point of ze day!"

The crowd went wild, ecstatic to see the Performance Team take the four points. Dawn simply sighed in relief, knowing that the hole the team had put themselves in with the first two matches of the season had made these points extremely crucial. Now, they were right back in the race.

Dusk came over as the crowd continued to cheer, congratulating her on her win, before setting off. She decided to go back and get changed as well, knowing that they would be starting the battles up after about an hour break. She was excited to see how Ash and the others did, wanting both teams to be ready to take on the next two matches fully in the race.

When she was ready, she stepped out to find Tierno waiting for her. He seemed quite pleased, his Chimchar with him, looking excited as well. It was only his second true win as a coordinator, so she couldn't blame him, and winning with a Pokemon without as much experience like Chimchar made the feat all the more impressive.

"Nice job out there," he said, turning as the two began to walk out. "You and Vivillon have turned into quite the team. You've got some real rhythm!"

Dawn laughed, looking at Chimchar. "Thanks, you and Chimchar have come a long way, too, though. I wasn't able to beat coordinators this strong with that much experience."

"I've got lots of experience dancing and battling with my Pokemon," Tierno said proudly. "We just needed to make it work on the stage instead of a battlefield."

Dawn shrugged, supposing that made sense. She wondered if she needed to try working on some of the routines Tierno did in his training. Of course, her own style seemed to work well enough for her. She just needed to make sure she remained focused, and that her Pokemon trusted her.

When they stepped out into the hallway, their other friends were waiting for them. It was good to see their spirits so high, given what they'd seen the night before. Dawn supposed that despite the unease in the back of their minds, it was nice to have the IPL match as a distraction. It was better to let Officer Jenny figure out what to do for now anyway.

"All four points!" Ash said excitedly, leading the group down the hall towards the exit. "As long as you guys do well in the next couple of matches, the Performance Team will make it to the playoffs!"

"Oh look!" Shauna said, pointing to a screen in the lobby as they arrived in it, a few students gathering around it. "They've updated the standings!"

Dawn looked up, hoping that they were in much better shape now, with two sweeps in their favour now, despite the two against. She was pleased to see that it looked much better. In fact, mainly due to a surprising result from the match between Laverre and Coumarine. It seemed Laverre University wasn't as unbeatable as they had seemed.

 _1st Place: Laverre University (12pts)_

 _2nd Place: Lumiose University (8pts)_

 _3rd Place: Coumarine College (7pts)_

 _4th Place: Shalour College (5pts)_

"That means Coumarine only lost one event against Laverre!" Trevor said in surprise.

"It might've been better if Laverre had won, though," Tierno pointed out. "Coumarine's pretty close to us."

"It doesn't matter either way!" Ash said, smiling as he looked up at the points. "Second place gets you in the playoffs, and that's where you are now. Just keep winning!"

"And it's good to know that Laverre isn't totally invulnerable," Shauna said, looking more confident. A couple of wins had done her some good. "We beat Coumarine, and Coumarine beat them. Why not us, too?"

That seemed to be an extra little boost to the team as they left. As they headed towards the battlefield, Dawn remembered how low they had all felt after losing to Laverre so badly in the opening match of the IPL. For her, it had followed after a rough stretch of official contest battles as well, so it hadn't been easy bouncing back. And Laverre's students had seemed so polished. This really seemed to even the playing field.

As they walked, Dawn noticed Clemont fidgeting with his glasses a few times, glancing around as though thinking someone was there that wasn't. She supposed it was probably Korrina he was thinking about. She didn't know whether it was because of his upcoming battle, or because of whatever it was that was going on between the two of them.

"You okay, Clemont?" she asked, walking alongside him.

He nodded, sighing as he looked up to where Ash had called out Rockruff to walk with the group. He'd called Professor Kukui the night before about the Puppy Pokemon sneaking onto the plane, but the Alolan researcher had been unsurprised. He'd immediately suggested Ash let Rockruff join his team, and the little rock type had seemed insistent about it as well. When Ash had happily agreed, it had made everyone feel a lot better after their rough night, and Rockruff's happy barks had filled them all with joy. It looked just as excited about watching Ash battle as Ash was about battling. Dawn supposed that was part of what was making Clemont think about his own battle.

"I just hope we'll do as well as the Performance Team did. It would be nice for both teams to improve our position in the standings." The Lumiose Gym Leader hesitated, and then continued. "I want to give Korrina a good battle. I want to win, of course, but just like Ash, she really loves to battle. I want to make it a true battle of gym leaders. I can't be the leader that leaves a robot in charge of his gym. I need to be the leader that makes his opponent fight to their greatest ability."

Dawn could tell he'd been thinking about this a lot. Her eyes then went to Marie, who was excitedly listening to Ash as he started telling a couple of stories about some of his old battles. She had her Chikortia out, and Dawn remembered how excited her roommate had been the last few weeks after training sessions with the team.

"Clemont, if you're not a true Gym Leader, nobody is. Do you even know how much Marie has learned from you with the training you've done with her?" Dawn laughed as Clemont looked at Marie in surprise. "She wants to try out for the IPL team next year, you know?"

Clemont looked too surprised to talk for a moment, and then smiled. "I'll have to watch out that she doesn't get my spot." He then took a deep breath, smiling and looking more sure of himself. "I hope she makes it."

Dawn smiled at that, although she couldn't help but wonder what that would mean for the three trainers currently on the team. One of them wouldn't be on if Marie made it. Of course, everyone had their own journeys to take. Maybe a new adventure awaited them.

She decided not to think about that, her focus moving to the match ahead. Ash was picking up the pace now, the battlefield in sight, and before Dawn knew it, the group was running along behind him. Fortunately, it wasn't too far ahead, and when they reached it, Clemont hadn't fallen too far behind.

As they made their way towards their seats, Dawn could see that the Shalour team was already assembled, Korrina talking to her fellow Battle Team members. She and Clemont did lock eyes as the Lumiose team took their seats, though, and Dawn could see the excitement in the Shalour Gym Leader's eyes. It was sure to be quite the battle. Bonnie and her father had also arrived, and Dawn could see Clemont's sister smirking at the exchange of glances, before rushing up to whisper with Shauna.

As they waited for the students to arrive, knowing it would likely take awhile longer, Ash started to do a little bit of last minute training with Pikachu. He had Rockruff and Riolu watch closely, wanting the two of them to watch how Pikachu managed to use his small frame and speed to take advantage of opponents quickly at the beginning of a battle. Fortunately, his opponent from Shalour, Sumato, seemed to be too busy with whatever Korrina was saying in their team's meeting to figure out any of what Ash was planning.

Once things had started to fill up a little more, Professor Sycamore arrived with the Lumiose coaches, asking who would be battling first. "It sounds as though Sumato will be starting for Shalour," he said, looking at Ash expectantly.

"It'll be me and Pikachu then," Ash answered, looking excitedly at the battlefield, which was empty except for the referee, who had now arrived.

"Don't forget how clever this boy was the last time," Agatha warned Ash."Pikachu's speed gives you an advantage, but you'll need to think two steps ahead to avoid falling into his traps."

Ash nodded, locking eyes with Pikachu. "He won't have any time to set traps, right buddy?"

It was a typical confident Ash thing to say, but Dawn was still a little surprised at how sure he was of himself in saying it. He seemed to really know what he planned to do, and he was clearly sure it was going to work.

Finally, after another few minutes of waiting, Professor Sycamore announced to the waiting crowd that the battles would now begin. He announced Sumato first, the Shalour battler making his way to the battlefield to polite applause before Sycamore then looked to the Lumiose team. "And representing our own Lumiose University, is Ash Ketchum and Pikachu!"

Dawn and her friends cheered loudly as Ash ran out with Pikachu at his side. When he reached his position, Pikachu darted out in front of him. At the other end, Sumato called out his Magnezone, the same Pokemon he'd used in the last match. Dawn could see it in the other boy's eyes that he knew this was going to be a more difficult match. Ash was more than ready for this one.

As Professor Sycamore announced the rules, and the crowd waited in anticipation, Dawn in her seat, watching intently. Once he was done, the referee stepped forward, looking to both trainers, waiting to ensure they were both ready. When they nodded to signal that they were, he waved his arm to signal them. "Let the battle begin!"

Ash was ordering his first attack in an instant. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" he shouted, thrusting his arm forward with the order. As Pikachu took off like a yellow bullet, Ash was already calling for the follow-up. "Follow it up with Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled in answer, leaping up towards the big steel and electric type hovering in the air in front of him. He crashed hard into Magnezone, causing it to cry out in a robotic voice. However, it wasn't done there, with Pikachu spinning around swiftly, his tail glowing brightly and his eyes narrowed in focus. "Chuuu PIKA!"

"Zone!" Magnezone cried out as the Iron Tail struck it head on. The force sent the Magnet Area Pokemon crashing to the ground, dust shooting up around it once it hit.

"Electro-Ball!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika CHUPI!" Pikachu roared, spinning again as he descended, his tail now glowing with the light of the electric sphere forming at its tip. He sent it flying down just as the smoke and dust around Magnezone was disappearing, and as it started to rise up from the previous attack, it was struck hard again.

The crowd was ecstatic with how the battle was going so far, and Dawn couldn't blame them. Ash had complete control. It was no secret that he had done well in the Kalos League, and that he hadn't been at his peak for a couple of the IPL matches so far, but he was proving that he was back and better than ever.

There wasn't much that could stop him if he continued to battle like this.

* * *

It had seemed like never ending cheering today, and Clemont was glad to hear it, watching with a smile as Trevor commanded his Aerodactyl to land the finishing blow on his opponent's Donphan. While Trevor hadn't displayed the dominance and control that Ash had, he'd certainly impressed, his Aerodactyl taking full advantage of its flying ability to avoid most of Donphan's attacks and land some effective ones of his own.

As the referee declared Trevor the winner, Clemont knew much of the pressure had been taken off of him in terms of their positioning in the standings. However, he couldn't help but feel his heart pounding as he exchanged a look with Korrina, who was among her teammates. They looked disappointed, knowing they'd be going home without much in the way of points, but she looked excited to battle, and at least give them something to cheer for.

 _I'll give you the best battle I can,_ Clemont thought, his hand going to Luxray's pokeball.

His friends wished him luck as he headed out to his place on the battlefield, Bonnie and Meyer joining in and voicing their support the loudest. He congratulated Trevor on his win as they passed one another, the other boy looking quite pleased. As Clemont reached his place, he looked across to where Korrina was positioning herself, noticing her looking to her grandfather. He saw her nodding to him, before she looked out across to Clemont.

"I'm not going to use Mega Evolution in this battle, Clemont!" she called out, sounding eager to get going. "I want this to be a truly even battle. Whoever has trained their Pokemon better and whoever can get the most out of them will win. Okay?"

Clemont was surprised to hear that. He supposed he would've liked to beat Lucario in its mega evolved state, but it did change things if one Pokemon was given that power while the other wasn't. _But are we really battling if we're not using our best skills._ If Korrina felt this was the best way for them to battle, he supposed he was happy to agree, though. _I guess that's just how it has to be_. "I'm ready when you are!" he said, seeing her smile immediately.

At that, both trainers called out their Pokemon, Lucario and Luxray staring one another down as soon as they emerged. Even without Mega Evolution, Lucario was a fearsome looking Pokemon. Clemont knew that they needed to be extremely careful. In some ways, it was almost more dangerous, not knowing exactly what to expect.

He didn't have time to think about that, though, the referee checking to make sure the two trainers were ready. When they both nodded, he immediately raised his arm. Clemont tensed as he waved it down, and a moment later, the battle was on.

"Bone Rush, Lucario!" Korrina ordered quickly, wanting to get the first attack in, just as Ash had in his battle.

Clemont was fairly quick as well, though. "Wild Charge!"

The two Pokemon rushed towards each other, and unlike in their last meeting, Luxray and Clemont had been ready. As Lucario swung out, a bone of light in his grasp, Luxray was surrounded by crackling electricity. As the attacks collided, sparks flew out in all directions and a shock wave of energy shook the field, making the crowd gasp. The two Pokemon strained against one another, each desperate to overpower the other, but eventually, both backed down, leaping back and glaring at each other.

Clemont smiled, seeing Korrina narrowing her eyes in focus. He decided to act next. "Luxray, use Thunder Fang!"

"Metal Sound!" Korrina countered.

Clemont winced. It was too late to get Luxray out of the way, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon leaping at Lucario with his jaws crackling with electricity. He landed the attack well, but not before Lucario struck with the high pitched sound attack. Clemont could see the discomfort in both Pokemon as the separated once more, Lucario holding the arm that Luxray had hit, and Luxray shaking his head, ears ringing.

"Bone Rush, again!" Korrina then commanded, not giving Clemont a chance to think on his next move.

He acted on instinct, though, ordering his counter right away. "Defend with Swift! Then use Thunder Fang again!"

"Ray!" Luxray roared, bracing himself as Lucario ran towards him, the bone formed once again. The Aura Pokemon ran at full speed, but he had to be sharp, golden stars rushing towards him the entire time. He swung his bone at each that neared him, shattering each into golden dust. The crowd grew silent as the impact between the two Pokemon neared.

"Now!" Clemont yelled, punching the air, surprised himself by how into the battle he was getting.

Luxray roared as once again his jaws filled with electrical energy. As Lucario swung his bone outwards, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon caught it, electricity travelling along it and sending a powerful jolt through the Aura Pokemon.

Clemont heard Korrina gasp in surprise, and saw her hand twitch towards her Key Stone. A look to her grandfather made her stop, however. He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He wanted to fight her at her best, and he wanted to prove she needed to. "Throw Lucario and use Wild Charge!"

"Rayyy!" Luxray roared through his bite on Lucario's bone. He swung his head, and Lucario's eyes widened as he was lifted off of his feet. With another swing, Lucario went flying into the air, and Luxray's body was engulfed in electricity. He ran forward, roaring again, before leaping high and driving his body hard into Lucario.

"Ru!" the Aura Pokemon grunted, his a massive burst of electricity shooting up from the colliding Pokemon, before he was sent crashing to the ground. He cried out on impact, and Clemont could see him wincing as he tried to stand.

"Korrina!" Clemont called out, ignoring the cheering crowd. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, but he was a bit frustrated. If he and Korrina were going to have the best battle they could, they both needed to be at their strongest. "Luxray and I can handle Mega Lucario. You know we can. Show us everything you have!"

Korrina hesitated, looking like she wasn't sure how to react to that. Her eyes drifted over to where her team was watching, and she seemed to lock eyes with her grandfather. A moment later, Gurkinn looked to Clemont, eyes searching him. When he smiled, Clemont couldn't help but do the same.

Korrina then spoke up. "We'll Mega Evolve if we earn it, Clemont. I have to show everything I can do with Lucario first, though." With that, she was on the offensive. "Aura Sphere!"

"Swift!" Clemont countered, narrowing his eyes curiously. If Korrina wanted to earn it, he would make her do so.

Lucario cried out loudly as he formed the blue sphere in front of him, Lucario responding with a roar of his own. A moment later, the Aura Sphere rocketed towards Luxray, bursting through the golden stars of Swift. Fortunately for Clemont, Luxray's attack was enough to slow down the Aura Sphere, before he needed to jump out of the way as it reached him. However, Korrina was quick with the follow up attack.

"Bone Rush!"

"Ru!" Lucario was off like lightning, bursting through the dust clouds the previous colliding attacks had created. Before Luxray could react, he was struck hard in the side by the bone of light, his body lifted off the ground and sent sideways. He barely managed to land on his feet, gritting his teeth from the pain of the attack.

Clemont knew they needed a boost, and fortunately, they had just the attack for it. "Luxray, let's add a spark to this battle! Use Electric Terrain!"

"Luxray!" Luxray roared in answer, Lucario bracing himself as the Gleam Eyes Pokemon cried out. A moment later, the field seemed to shake as sparks began to shoot up everywhere. It was almost like the grass had turned to electricity. Even Clemont was surprised at the burst of strength from his Pokemon.

"YEAHHH GO CLEMONT!" the crowd cheered loudly, seemingly led by Bonnie, who was standing up in her seat. "Go big brother!"

He smiled, looking ahead as Korrina seemed to tense up. The next stage of the battle was now beginning, and both of them knew it. A moment later, both ordered their next attacks.

"Swift!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Once more, golden stars rushed towards the glowing blue sphere. The latter crashed through the stars, but this time, Luxray kept up the assault even further, his focus intensified by the Electric Terrain. Lucario was panting, having put as much effort into the Aura Sphere as he could, and Clemont could see it plainly, watching as Luxray seemed to strain to hold the attack back.

"Lucario, get in there with Bone Rush!"

"Wild Charge!" Clemont countered, knowing that he needed to be extra quick when Korrina ordered her attacks.

Luxray roared in answer, and he rushed forward, forgetting Swift as his body was surrounded in electricity, boosted further by the Electric Terrain. He didn't hesitate as the Aura Sphere approached him now, crashing through the weakened attack and heading to meet Lucario who ran full force with his bone in hand.

Just as before, the Pokemon collided with a shock wave of energy, shaking the field. This time, with Electric Terrain having electrified the field, sparks flew up everywhere, many nearly into the crowd, who gasped in awe and fear. Meanwhile, the two Pokemon clashing refused to budge, growling as they strained against one another.

"Use Aura Sphere close up!" Korrina ordered, watching the two Pokemon closely, looking for any weakness she could find.

"Counter with Thunder Fang!" Clemont shouted back, quickly fixing his glasses as they seemed to nearly shake off of his face with the wind blowing back from the two Pokemon.

"Ru!" Lucario grunted out, holding tight to the bone of light with one hand, straining against Luxray with it as he aimed the other arm out and began to form Aura Sphere.

"Ray!" Luxray growled back, electricity spreading along him and into his jaws, before he lunged forward, snapping the Bone Rush and biting into Lucario's arm.

The Aura Pokemon was hurt, and almost seemed to slip at that, but he kept his focus, driving his other arm out and sending the Aura Sphere he'd been forming into Luxray's side. The crowd gasped as Lucario staggered back from the initial pain, while Luxray was sent sliding along the ground, roaring from his own.

"Now use Metal Sound!" Korrina ordered quickly, Lucario straightening immediately and slapping his palms together. Once again, a piercing sound was heard, the crowd groaning as it reached them, while Luxray grunted in discomfort. Clemont knew this wasn't good, with Metal Sound already having been used once.

"Use Swift, quickly!" he called out, Luxray gritting his teeth and fighting through his discomfort. The Gleam Eyes Pokemon looked straight at Lucario and fired out the golden stars, striking the Aura Pokemon hard and sending him staggering back.

As both Pokemon took a pause in the action, along with their trainers, they smiled at one another, panting. Clemont couldn't help but smile as well, feeling invigorated by the challenge. This was why Ash could never wait for the next battle. Battles like this could drive both trainers to be their very best and give their Pokemon a chance to give it everything they had.

Korrina seemed to feel it as well, grinning across at Clemont, before exchanging a nod with her grandfather. "All right, Clemont, you asked for it!" She held her arm out, touching a finger to the Key Stone on her arm band. "Lucario! Mega Evolve!"

Clemont's eyes widened, watching as the transformation took place, the blinding lights extending out from trainer to Pokemon and vice versa. Lucario grew larger, his features more aggressive, his feet and arms tipped with red, while his yellow chest fur had ruffled up. This battle would have an intense finish.

"You can do this, Clemont!" Ash called out from the sidelines, the rest of the team echoing his words. "Don't give up!"

Clemont nodded, smiling and adjusting his glasses as he looked to Luxray. Of course he wouldn't give up. This was the ultimate challenge. This was what a battle with Korrina needed to be. "Luxray, Thunder Fang!"

"Aura Sphere!" Korrina ordered, moving in sync with Lucario as the Aura Pokemon straightened out in front of her, forming the blue sphere in his palm and bending his arms back.

"Ray!" Luxray roared, charging towards his opponent with no hesitation.

Clemont was surprised he wasn't nervous, watching with narrowed eyes as his Pokemon charged forward, jaws crackling with electricity. As he closed the gap between him and Lucario, the Aura Pokemon unleashed the Aura Sphere, the attack looking twice as fierce as before. It rushed towards Luxray, and the mighty electric type met it head on.

"LUX!" Luxray bit into the attack, exploding it into a shower of blue and yellow sparks, the crowd going wild in response. Even Clemont couldn't help but give a start in surprise at the force of the Thunder Fang. He smiled, though, knowing he couldn't hesitate as Luxray continued the charge.

"Now, use Swift!" he commanded, sweeping his arm out in front of him as Luxray ran.

"Ray!" Luxray roared again, continuing his charge, Lucario and Korrina looking slightly uneasy.

"Bone Rush! Knock 'em all back!" Korrina shouted, moving in sync with Lucario once more as this time the Aura Pokemon formed two bones of light. A moment later, he was batting aside the golden stars as they rocketed towards him. However, Luxray grew nearer with each one.

"Bring it into another Thunder Fang!" Clemont yelled, almost feeling like the electricity had charged him up as well, the crowd fueling his yell even further with it.

"Luxray!" Luxray roared, leaping up as Lucario did, the fighting type crossing the bones in front of him in a defensive position.

The Pokemon collided in midair, sparks shooting out from both. They plummeted to the ground a moment later, staggering back as their attacks faded. However, both trainers knew they couldn't let up, and neither did their Pokemon.

"Wild Charge!"

"Zen Headbutt!"

Clemont was surprised by the command, but he could see the grin on Korrina's face. It was a secret weapon, held until this final point of the battle. He couldn't help but feel excited to see how he and Luxray fared against it.

The Pokemon cried out as they charged forward, one bathed in a pink glow, eyes closed in focus, while the other was engulfed in electricity, eyes wide with power. They collided with the biggest impact yet, and this time, both trainers were knocked off their feet, along with the referee and any students in the crowd who had been standing. Clemont couldn't even see as he struggled to hold his glasses up, the wind and dust blowing in all directions, while the sparks of Electric Terrain rained down across the field.

As he stumbled to his feet, squinting as the dust began to settle, he laughed, seeing that both Pokemon were still standing, even if both were panting. Those in the crowd who had recovered as well were now cheering, amazed by the battle they were witnessing. Clemont almost wanted to yell, feeling completely invigorated by it as well. This was more than he could've hoped for, and he could see it in Korrina's eyes as well.

But now, it was time to end it.

"Aura Sphere!" she yelled, getting to her feet and thrusting her palm forward with the command.

Clemont's command came at the same time. "Thunder Fang!"

"RU!"

Lucario cried out, his yell heard loud and clear throughout. He formed the attack as quickly as he could, narrowing his eyes as Luxray gave a cry of equal passion. A moment later, the Aura Sphere was rushing towards the Gleam Eyes Pokemon, and it looked nearly impossible to beat.

However, Clemont knew it would be beaten. He clenched his fists, watching intently as Luxray charged into the powerful attack once more, meeting it with his electrified jaws again. This time, he couldn't shatter it as before, but this time, he didn't need to. With a muffled roar, he continued the charge, and before Lucario and Korrina could realize what was happening, it was too late.

"NOW!" Clemont yelled, while Luxray picked his speed up in the last few paces.

"RAY!" the Gleam Eyes Pokemon roared, releasing the Aura Sphere back in Lucario's direction, the blue sphere now engulfed in electricity from Luxray's fangs.

Lucario and Korrina could only watch with wide eyes as the attack exploded against the former, sending him soaring back, and crashing hard to the ground in front of his trainer. His body glowed a moment, before he lay still, once more in his regular form, just as the electricity seemed to die out across the field.

"Lucario is unable to battle!" the referee called out, waving his arm to Luxray and Clemont. "Clemont and Luxray are the winners! Lumiose University collects the point!"

It was almost all a blur to Clemont after that, the Lumiose Gym Leader rushing to ensure his Pokemon was all right, hearing the screams of his supporters only faintly. When he reached Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon looked more exhausted than he'd ever been before, but he looked extremely proud as well. The victory had been hard fought, and Clemont couldn't have been more grateful to him.

"You did a great job, Luxray. Thank you," he said, hugging his fierce fighter, before looking up to see Korrina comforting her Lucario not too far away.

He waited patiently, knowing she needed to make sure Lucario would be all right, but he was glad when she finally stood, helping the Aura Pokemon to his feet. Clemont did the same with Luxray. They slowly made their way towards each other, and when they reached one another, Korrina sighed, smiling.

"Thank you for the best battle I've ever had, Clemont. That was amazing!" He was stunned by her words, but he could see it in her eyes that she meant them. He felt proud about that, but that didn't stop his cheeks heating up.

"You did great as well," he told her. "I don't think I've ever gotten that invested in a battle."

"That's why us gym leaders are around, right?" Korrina asked, chuckling lightly. Clemont could hear the exhaustion in her voice, and was sure he probably sounded the same. "We push our opponents to be better than they ever thought they could be."

Clemont didn't know what else to say, but he could feel all the eyes on him, especially Bonnie's and Shauna's. He wanted to say something, regardless. He knew he should, and he could see Korrina looking at him somewhat hopefully. "I...um..."

Korrina frowned then, looking over to her team, who were now waiting to meet her. When she glanced back, Clemont could almost feel the fog in his brain. "Yes?" she asked. "You okay?"

Clemont then took a deep breath, words suddenly coming out he didn't even think of. "I'd really like to go out with you later!" He almost yelled it, and both of them widened their eyes at the sudden question. He tried to recover. "You know...to make up for the...interruption last night. If...that's okay?"

Korrina smiled then, her own cheeks reddening. "I think we deserve that." She then stepped forward and gave his cheek a quick kiss, before darting off. "See you later!" she squeaked.

Clemont nearly fainted then. But of course, it was probably because of the battle.

 **Author's Note:**

So Clemont will get a real date I suppose. Now, this Clemont vs Korrina battle was not originally gonna be the biggest battle besides Ash vs Anton but...here we are. I don't know what happened, but it happened. Clemont obviously has more to do, but I guess I just kind of felt this was where his biggest moment needed to be. His biggest move forward in both battling and his relationship with Korrina. Again, he still has key moments ahead, but this just felt right.

Anyway, LU has taken charge in the IPL now. They're in the race, and even Laverre has been knocked down a peg. Of course, if Coumarine's on a roll after that, they'll be a dangerous next opponent.

Hope you enjoyed, and see you next week.


	9. Old Man Bugs

**Author's Note:**

Apologies for just the one chapter this week, but I've had some busy work stuff to do. But, funnily enough, this chapter was meant to be two chapters anyway. So...still two chapters in a way...sort of...right? Anyway, hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 9: Old Man Bugs**

It had been a few weeks since the weekend of the IPL match with Shalour, and Ash was already eager for the next one against Coumarine. Training had been going well for him and his friends, and he was quite pleased with the early progress he'd made with Rockruff since the Puppy Pokemon had joined his team. Serena also seemed to be doing well with her newest Pokemon, with Popplio demonstrating some of the flashiest moves out of all of her Pokemon in some of their training sessions.

Classes had been going well, too, and Ash was enjoying his classes with Agatha and Flint most of all, finding that many of the strategies they discusses not only helped him come up with ideas for himself, but plan against potential attacks other opponents might use. While they had obviously discussed certain things in the IPL training sessions, there was a lot more detail available when they were teaching a class. The only thing that Ash struggled with was the occasional written report they seemed to be expected to provide.

As well as things had been going, however, Ash's mind couldn't get away from what they had discovered in the forest on the night before the IPL match. He trusted Officer Jenny, as they all did, but he couldn't help but feel like more needed to be done. Of course, he understood that they couldn't really know what else needed to be done, because he didn't really know, either. All they could really depend on right now was the occasional search of the forest nearby and alerting the other cities to the potential of hidden hunter bases.

Ash couldn't help but feel like he would be more use if he was out travelling like he used to. If he could be looking around more places, he might be able to find something. As it was, he'd barely had time to do his schoolwork and go to training sessions. He'd made a commitment to Lumiose University, though, and he wanted to finish what he had started.

"And that's why different types of Pokemon will need to be fed different kinds of food."

Ash blinked, looking up and realizing he'd zoned out while Brock had been giving his lesson on the different types of food Pokemon eat. Ash had been surprised when he'd found out Brock was doing some teaching at Lumiose University, but he was pleased to be in his class. The Pewter Gym Leader knew what he was doing when it came to this stuff.

"A fire type Pokemon, for example, may prefer spicier foods, and they need that extra heat to nurture their specific typing," Brock continued. "Sometimes, simply including a Tamato Berry might be just what you need."

He finished with a few more examples, and also handed out a few recipes he'd come up with, before finally finishing up. As Ash packed up his things, Serena and Clemont seemed to notice his thoughts were elsewhere. It took him a moment to realize that they were standing and waiting while he was still sitting, his mind back on the hunters.

"Are you okay, Ash?" Serena asked, sitting back down and looking at him in concern. Pikachu gave him a similar look, hopping off his shoulder and sitting on the desk in front of him.

Ash shrugged, looking out the window. "I want to do something about that hunter base we saw. I know Officer Jenny has been keeping an eye out, but I just feel like we need to do more. They're bigger and more dangerous than we thought."

Serena nodded, worry in her eyes as she looked away uneasily. "I understand," she said, pulling out a pokeball, which Ash assumed was Absol's. "We did well in our performance against Shalour, but Absol's been more and more uneasy each day. He senses something."

That made Ash feel even more uneasy. He knew that Absol were capable of sensing danger. _Capable of sensing disaster._ He looked to Clemont, his friend also sitting down, appearing uncomfortable. "Have you talked to Korrina about this since the match?"

Clemont nodded. "She looks around when she can, but nothing seems to be around. The Vivillon she's caring for might be able to show her something, but it's too scared to go into the forest. Too scared to even try to give Lucario any kind of indication of where to look, either."

Ash thought for a moment, wondering if there was anything they could do to find some kind of other hint. He was distracted, however, as he noticed Brock approaching them. He seemed to know something was up, looking a little concerned.

"You guys, okay?" he asked, coming to a stop by their desks. "I didn't put you to sleep, did I, Ash?"

Ash smiled at that, shaking his head. "No, it's something else." He paused, seeing the expectant look in the Pewter Gym Leader's eyes. "You heard about the hunters, right? And the bases we found in Shalour City and nearby here?"

Brock nodded, shaking his head sadly. "Yeah, I've heard all about that. It's awful." He glanced at Serena. "Nurse Joy..." his eyes went dreamy for a moment, before he recovered and shook his head. "Nurse Joy mentioned that your Absol had been caught by them before you saved it."

"He's still not fully recovered," Serena said, although she smiled fondly at the pokeball still in her hands, "but he's come a long way. I'm going to try making some food for him with one of the recipes you suggested."

Brock seemed pleased by that. "Some of them can certainly help with recovering from injuries." He paused, looking back to Ash. "I take it you want to do something else about this. You're getting frustrated with waiting for more information?"

"I know Officer Jenny is doing what she can," Ash told him, shifting uncomfortably. "I just feel like we could do more. There's more we can find out there."

Clemont spoke up then, sounding as determined as Ash. "Korrina managed to find more after she went searching further. She wouldn't have found that Vivillon otherwise. The hunters might've been scared off for now, but we might be able to find more traces of where they might've gone."

"It might be worth checking out," Brock agreed, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You'll need some extra time if you're going to do this." He glanced over at the desk at the board at the front of the classroom where an assignment had been posted for the class. "How about this counts as your assignment for the week? I think ensuring Pokemon are treated properly is a form of Pokemon nutrition. I'll talk to your teachers for your next class and tell them you're doing an extra credit project for me. You'll have plenty of time to look around. If you find something, tell Officer Jenny. If you don't..." He trailed off, before sighing. "I guess that means they've gotten too far away...for now."

Ash stared back at Brock a moment, before looking to Serena and Clemont. "Are you guys in?"

They were nodding in an instant. "Of course!" Serena said, narrowing her eyes. "Whatever we can do, we should do it."

"We've been so busy lately," Clemont said, standing up. "This is our best chance to look."

"Then let's do this!" Ash turned to Brock, smiling. "Thanks Brock. We owe you one."

"Just do your best," Brock told him. "And try not to take on all of them at once if you find them."

* * *

Meowth yawned as he looked around at the trees and bushes surrounding them. It was exhausting what they were doing, and for the last couple of weeks, it was all that they were doing. Constant searching for further signs of these Pokemon hunters. He was sure that they knew every rock, branch, leaf and blade of grass in the entire forest at this point.

"We need to know the area is clear," Jessie told him sharply as he complained about having already looked in the clearing they were in. "If we're going to take on people as organized as them, we need have somewhere safe to make our plans. And if we can find any sign of them, we need to be aware of what else they're up to."

It was surprisingly logical of her, and Meowth looked to James, seeing a surprised look in his eyes. "Even if we find a safe area to hide out here," James started saying as he peered into a bush, "what do we do if they come back? I don't think they'll avoid looking for Pokemon near Lumiose City forever."

Meowth nodded, smiling to himself as he realized those were the things a Team Rocket member would think of. Any good criminal organization would know that having the supply of Pokemon in and around the largest city in Kalos was a necessity. Their job was to ensure that the hunters didn't go overboard, however. Whatever they were up to was too harmful. And, obviously Team Rocket needed to stay on top around there.

"If they come around here, then we have to fight them," Jessie said simply. "The boss gave us our Pokemon back, remember. We're ready for a fight. After all those battles with the twerp, these hunters will be easy to beat if they challenge us."

"Da twoip beats us easy every time," Meowth muttered, sitting down from the exhaustion of their exploration. "We ain't strong enough."

"Ridiculous!" Jessie snapped, glaring at Meowth. "With Seviper and the others back, we can't be stopped!"

"The twerp always has a few Pokemon with him," James agreed, looking hopeful. "We could defeat him and anyone else with the same advantage."

Meowth shrugged, supposing that made some sense. He was still tired, though, after an entire morning of exploring, and wanted a break. He was about to suggest one, when he heard something in the distance. He paused, looking up as there was silence a moment later, Jessie and James apparently unaware of whatever he had heard. The two of them went back to searching, while Meowth stood up and looked in the direction of the noise he'd heard.

It had been very faint, almost like it was a muffled voice of some kind. He supposed he might've been imagining it, but given what they were doing, he couldn't help but feel like he was hearing something important. He took a few steps in the direction of the noise, doing his best to ignore Jessie and James as they rustled through the bushes.

It took about another minute, and Meowth was about to give up, when he heard the noise again. It was almost like a...bleat, but very short. He had no idea what it could be, and couldn't help but think it might be his tiredness making him hear strange things. He had to check it out, though. If it was something they could use, it would make all this searching at least somewhat worth their time.

Jessie and James didn't notice as Meowth pushed through the bushes, hearing the noise once more. He was sure he wasn't going crazy, now, and he quickened his pace. He realized as he neared the sound that he was foolish not to get his companions' attention, but he didn't want to get them to follow for no reason if it was nothing. If he needed to, he would go back and get them.

As he emerged into another small clearing, he paused, waiting to see if he'd hear another noise. He didn't think he could hear anything, though, until something caught his attention. It wasn't a bleat, or whatever that had been, like the last few times, but it was definitely something alive. It was deep breathing, and fast. Meowth stopped moving completely, realizing that whatever it was, was scared. He supposed it was his Pokemon intuition.

"Hello?" he called out, holding his arms up in the air in an attempt to show he meant no harm. "I ain't going to hurt ya. I'm just a Meowth, see?" He turned around slowly, sure that whatever it was could see him. He was sure there were eyes on him. He could feel it.

There was another moment of silence, the breathing sound seeming to stop as whatever it was, waited to see what Meowth might do. Then, there was another bleating sound, very quiet, and in a bush to Meowth's left. He approached slowly, holding his arms up still, before he came to a stop in front of the bush. He waited a moment, hearing faster breathing, before he slowly reached out and pushed through.

"Dooo-oo-oo," the Pokemon on the other side bleated out as Meowth came into view.

"Hey, it's okay," Meowth told it, eyes widening as he noticed the rope around the Pokmeon's snout. It was a goat-like Pokemon with a mane of grassy fur, that Meowth recognized as a Skiddo. He felt horrible for it immediately, seeing the scars along its body, and the fear in its eyes. He guessed that it must not have been in the hunters' possession too long, however, as it didn't seem to have quite the look the twerpette's Absol had when they'd seen it walking around not long after the twerps had saved it.

"Dooo-oo-oo," Skiddo bleated out, this time softer as it seemed to relax a little. "Doo-oo."

Meowth eyed the ropes on its snout that muffled its cries, and moved a little closer. "Hey...mind if I...get dat off for ya?" Skiddo glanced down at his snout, and then to Meowth's claws. It appeared quite uneasy, but nodded. "I ain't gonna hurt ya," Mewoth vowed, slowly reaching out, carefully picking at the rope. He knew he could've gotten it off faster with one swipe, but he expected that would've terrified Skiddo. After about a minute, though, he managed to get it off, and Skiddo looked extremely relieved once it was.

"Doo-oo-oo," it bleated out, eyes shining as it looked at Meowth.

Meowth laughed in embarrassment. "Hey, it's no big deal," he said. "A Pokemon's gotta help a fellow Pokemon from time to time, don't it?"

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo bleated out happily. It managed to rise to its feet, looking shaky, but much better with the knowledge that Meowth wouldn't harm it, and that it didn't have a rope on it anymore.

Meowth grinned, feeling somewhat pleased about his good deed. "Hey, how about we go find my friends?" he asked, trying not to sound pushy about it. "We can get ya somethin' to eat, and den we can find you someplace safe to hide from da guys dat hurt ya."

Skiddo paused, fear in its eyes once more. Meowth waited, though, trying to make it clear he wasn't trying to pull Skiddo into some kind of trap. After about a minute, the fearful Pokemon nodded, though, and began to follow as Meowth led the way back.

When he arrived back, he was pleased to see that Jessie and James were at least a little worried about him. "Where were you?!" Jessie almost yelled, running up a few steps, before coming to a quick stop, seeing what was behind Meowth. "What...?"

"Meowth...is that a Skiddo?" James asked, eyes widening as he looked at Meowth's new companion. "It looks...it's not...the hunters?"

Meowth glanced back uneasily, seeing the Mount Pokemon shaking a little, obviously uneasy with the eyes on him. He took a step back to it, patting it gently on the side, noticing it settling down just a bit. "I tink so," he said slowly, taking a deep breath. "I had to untie a rope it had on its neck."

Jessie looked surprisingly speechless, glancing between Meowth and the Skiddo. Wobbuffett burst out of its pokeball as she was about to speak, and Meowth was glad she restrained herself from getting enraged by it, knowing that would scare off the Skiddo. "Should we take it to Lumiose City? To the Pokemon Centre?"

"That would probably be best," James said, nodding. He took a step forward, looking at the Skiddo. "We can take you to Nurse Joy, who can help with your injuries. Would you be okay with that?"

Skiddo looked to Meowth. "Doo-oo-oo," it bleated, nodding.

"He seems okay with dat," Meowth told his companions. He then looked around nervously. "Let's hurry, though. Who knows where da hunter-"

 _CRACK!_

Jessie and James whipped around as Meowth and Skiddo jumped at the noise. All of them stared with wide eyes in the direction of the noise. They waited a moment, seeing nothing, and Meowth hoped that it was just a loose branch that had fallen, or a wild Pokemon scurrying around. He hoped that Jessie and James had a pokeball out for no reason. He hoped that Skiddo was shaking like it was the iciest part of Snowbelle City for no reason. He hoped his claws were unsheathed for no reason.

Unfortunately, they had a reason, and Meowth watched in fear as a man with an Aggron emerged from the trees.

"That's part of my day's haul you've got there," he said, laughing. "Looks like you've got some more to make up for it, though."

Then, his Aggron charged forward.

* * *

Ash sighed as he kicked a rock aside, feeling as though little progress had been made. He'd really hoped that having a better chance to look around for an extended period of time might help, but as the day passed by, it seemed as though there was pretty good reason for Officer Jenny having been unable to find anything.

He turned around as he saw Clemont returning from a little detour he'd made with Elekid, the two of them looking as frustrated as he felt. "Nothing?" he asked, noticing Clemont flicking a few leaves off of his clothes.

"No," Clemont answered, shaking his head. "Anything around here?"

Serena answered, sitting on a stump to the side of the path they were on. "No, it seems like if there is anything around here, they might be hiding it."

Ash looked at her curiously. "You think they might still be around?"

Serena shrugged, looking at their surroundings. "I'm not sure." She paused, thinking a moment, then continued. "It just seems like it would be too tempting of an area for them to leave. There are so many Pokemon in and around the city, that they would probably want to stick around, don't you think?"

Clemont nodded, adjusting his glasses as he came to stand next to them. "It would make sense if they're still around. It doesn't seem like they left after the incident with Absol based on the condition of that area we found. They might just be hiding further away but making regular trips to the area."

"They might be covering their tracks a bit better after having some of their spots being found," Ash added, looking up at Pikachu, who was watching them in interest. "They obviously know we're looking for them, so they'll be making sure whatever they do is less noticeable. If they don't have a big base like the ones we've seen, it'll be easier for them to clean up and get away faster."

"This just makes our job even harder, though," Serena pointed out. "If they're hiding in even better ways, how do we find them."

Ash didn't know how to answer that, but he still felt better knowing they might have some idea of what was going on. "We can at least let Officer Jenny know. The hunters might slip up at some point and then they can get caught in the act. Just like the one that had Absol."

"I don't know..." Clemont appeared uneasy. "Absol seemed to be a unique case. No other city seems to have had any kind of incident where a hunter has been that bold. They must be pretty disciplined."

"I guess..." Ash frowned, wondering what other signs they could be looking for. He noticed a Caterpie making its way up the path ahead, smiling as he thought of his own that was now a Butterfree, off on its own. He couldn't help but find it a little strange seeing this one, however, with few signs of Pokemon in many of the areas they'd looked in up to this point. "No way..."

Serena looked at him curiously. "What is it?" she asked, sounding a little worried.

Ash pointed ahead to the Caterpie, which was now rounding a corner. "How many Pokemon have you seen around today, after we got away from the parts where Officer Jenny and the rest of the police were patrolling?"

Clemont blinked in confusion, apparently not having thought of it. "I...I don't know." He paused, glancing at Elekid, who seemed to be picking up on what Ash was thinking.

"Bee bee!" the electric type cried out. "Bee bee!"

Serena's eyes then widened, looking up to where Caterpie had disappeared. "You think...in the areas we didn't spot any Pokemon...?"

"There's no way they would've caught all of them," Ash assured her, looking back to her. "But...if a bunch were caught, and if most of the others ran away..."

"We've been walking through their hunting grounds this whole time!" Clemont exclaimed, mouth hanging open in surprise. "No way..."

"But we know they're going to be in areas where Pokemon are," Serena said hesitantly. "They're going after Pokemon, so what else are they going to do."

"We at least know that's where they've probably been," Ash said. "If look for areas where we can't find Pokemon, maybe that can lead us in their direction."

"That could take forever," Clemont told him. "But...it's something we can tell Officer Jenny at least." He looked around, and Ash saw his eyes go to a Vivillon flying through the trees. "Seems like this area could be a target. I wonder why they haven't come here..."

As he spoke, Ash suddenly heard something. He immediately looked up, and he could see that Serena and Clemont had heard it as well, the two of them going quiet immediately. Perhaps Clemont had spoken too soon. Perhaps they were about to catch some hunters in the act.

Ash looked to his friends, locking eyes with both of them, before taking the lead and heading down the path. He could feel Pikachu ready to leap from his shoulder at any moment, and he already had his hand on Greninja's pokeball, to send the Ninja Pokemon out as well. Clemont and Serena seemed just as ready, each with a pokeball in hand, too, while Clemont's Elekid was as tensed up as Pikachu.

"Could you hand me that rope? I need to tie this," a voice ahead said. It was a man's voice, sounding surprisingly friendly. That made Ash uncomfortable. With what these hunters were doing, how could they sound like _that_? "Be careful. Try not to startle it."

Ash frowned, looking back to Clemont and Serena and seeing them looking unsure as well. He decided to keep moving forward, still staying quiet, but part of him relaxed, taking his hand off of Greninja's pokeball. As they came closer to where they had heard the voice, he could see he was right not to worry, and his friends relaxed behind him. The man they had heard turned around as they entered the clearing.

He was a tall man, with brown hair, and a scruffy beard. He wore a green vest, over a brown shirt, and had baggy black pants. He was in the process of tying up some kind of sign that appeared to be a label for the kind of tree he was standing under. Next to him, was a Scyther, who almost appeared to be some kind of assistant, holding up a backpack in its scythe-like arms.

"Well hello there," the man greeted them, smiling and finishing tying his sign to the tree. "You wouldn't be out here searching for those hunters, would you?"

"Uh...how did you...?" Ash stared at him in confusion.

The man sighed, sitting down on a small camping chair he must've brought with him. "Lots of trainers have been around wanting to find them. Word's gotten around, and gym challengers are out searching." He shook his head. "I apologize. The name's Henry. People usually call me Old Man Bugs, though."

"Old Man Bugs?" Ash asked, glancing at the Scyther, and then up in the tree where the Caterpie and Vivillon they'd seen earlier were now resting.

"I'm a bug Pokemon researcher," he answered. "The 'old man' part, though..." He laughed. "This is one of the best areas to study 'em. The Hive loves to come here and do some research." He noticed Ash and his friends look confused at that, and explained. "That's our little research group's name," he chuckled.

"So...you're not a hunter?" Ash asked, not sure what else to say, both relieved they hadn't found someone attacking innocent Pokemon, but also wishing they could've stopped a hunter.

Henry shook his head, looking a little more serious. "No...I most certainly am not. Had some experiences with them in the past, however. At least...I have some suspicions about things they've done to a loved one."

Ash looked back once more to Clemont and Serena, before leading them further into the clearing to approach Henry. "My name's Ash," he greeted, before pointing up at Pikachu. "And this is my partner, Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

Clemont and Serena then introduced themselves, before Henry acknowledged each by name. "So you three must be at the school, eh? Pretty sure I've heard the name Ash before. Kalos League runner up, eh?"

Ash nodded, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Uh...yeah. How'd you know we're students at the school?"

"Well, if you've competed in the league, there's no need to go searching for the badges again," Henry pointed out, before chuckling and looking at Scyther. "And I've seen you battling my boy! Saw you performing against my girl, too, Serena."

Ash stared at him a moment, before looking to Serena, who seemed equally shocked. Clemont was the one who spoke up, though. "You're...Anton and Gabby's father?"

Henry laughed again, nodding. "I sure am." He gestured to his Scyther. "And this here, his Anton's Scizor's father."

"You gave him his Scizor?" Ash asked, looking at the Scyther with more respect. "Your Scyther must be really strong then!"

Henry grinned, his Scyther looking pleased as well. "Well, it was a Scyther when Anton became its trainer, but yeah, Scyther wanted his son to be best friends with mine, just as we've been best friends since I started out as a trainer." He hesitated. "I...uh...well they're still close. I don't know if they have as much fun as they should."

"They do seem to take things pretty seriously," Clemont murmured, looking uneasy about saying so, although Henry nodded in agreement.

"They didn't used to. Anton was like any young trainer starting out, and he set off with his sister in search of all the adventures they could find. It went very well for him at first, too, with all the battles he won early on." Henry shrugged, sighing deeply. "You remind me of what he might've been, Ash. I can see how much you enjoy your battling, regardless of the result."

Ash shifted uncomfortably at that, thinking of the rut he'd fallen into after some tough losses. He supposed he'd still managed to find the fun in it all in the end, though. "What happened to make him take things so seriously?"

"Well...he lost a big gym battle in Shalour City. Not to the current leader, but her grandfather, Gurkinn." Henry looked uncomfortable as he continued. "He would've gotten over that in the end, I believe. However, he overreacted in the moment. He...ran into the forest after that. He left a couple of his Pokemon there. Perhaps he blamed them, but I think he felt he wasn't worthy of them at the time."

Ash's eyes widened as Henry spoke, and he looked to Serena and Clemont, the two of them looking equally stunned. "He...abandoned his Pokemon?"

Henry nodded slowly, looking away, but then shook his head a moment later. "He went back for them almost right away." He looked down sadly, speaking the next words very quietly. "Gabby found a Swablu that day. An injured Swablu. Injured and abused. Do you have any guesses as to who had that Swablu before it escaped?"

Serena gasped, her hand going to Absol's pokeball instinctively. "The hunters..."

"And Anton's Pokemon...they..." Clemont stared at the ground, eyes wide.

"They were gone...and they haven't been seen since." Henry was silent for a few minutes, and Ash and his friends stayed quiet as well, waiting. They watched as a few other bug Pokemon entered the clearing, including a much more peaceful looking Beedrill compared to the ones they battled a couple weeks before.

Finally, Clemont broke the silence. "What Pokemon were they, if you don't mind me asking?"

"A Fletchinder," Henry answered quietly, looking up at his own. "And a Vivillon, with an Elegant pattern."

Ash could see Clemont's eyes widen at that, and he knew his friend was thinking of the one Korrina had found. He wasn't so sure, though. It was a fairly common Pokemon. Even if it sounded like this one had been held for a long time...

"I know Anton is...a little cold, but...you have to understand. To have that happen when he was just starting out..." Henry trailed off, his Scyther looking downcast next to him.

"You've been looking for them ever since, haven't you?" Ash asked, sure of it, as he locked eyes with Henry. "You're not around here by accident, are you?"

Henry stared back a moment, and then gave a short laugh. "Very perceptive. Yes, I've been looking for them ever since. I still do my research, but I go to the areas where people notice strange Pokemon behaviour, or someone finds what appears to be an abused Pokemon. I've never found any signs of larger activity like you seem to have, though. My guess is that they've expanded whatever they're doing. They're careful, but more bold these days. Whatever they're up to, they're even more dangerous."

"We've been thinking that they're clearing out different areas of the forest of all the Pokemon," Ash told him. "We think it's hard to find sign of them now, because..."

"No Pokemon as witnesses..." Henry looked at the three younger trainers curiously. "How _did_ you stumble across the bases you found?"

Serena answered this time, realization coming to her eyes. "Absol found one...and a Poliwag and Clemont's Elekid that was living in the area back then helped us as well. With the one by Lumiose City, it was a bunch of scared Beedrill that led us to the area, before Ash's Rockruff and my Absol sensed something was wrong."

"They know Pokemon are trying to get help..." Clemont looked sick, and Ash couldn't blame him. "They're just getting any Pokemon they can find."

"They can't just clear out the whole region," Ash said, hating the hesitation and nervousness in his voice. "They can't do this forever."

"They don't need to," Henry murmured, taking a deep breath. "This is too bold of a strategy. Whatever their plans were, they must feel that they've made enough progress to be more aggressive."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Well we can't let that happen. We-"

 _BOOM!_

All four of them jumped at the noise, and looked in the direction it had come from. Ash was the first to take off, and to his surprise, Henry was right behind him with Scyther, with Serena and Clemont doing their best to keep up.

Ash wasn't fully sure where to go, but Henry's Scyther took off ahead at Henry's instruction, taking to the air to get a better view. With his help, they managed to navigate the forest a little easier, and before long, they could see smoke up ahead, and what appeared to be some downed trees. Whatever had happened to cause that loud explosion seemed to have done a significant amount of damage.

As Scyther flew up ahead, Ash picked up his speed, coming to a stop in the clearing just behind the bug type. He glanced back to make sure his friends were keeping up, before turning around. He could see that Scyther was frozen in fear, and it made him almost nervous to look himself. He managed to make himself do it, though, and his eyes widened at what he saw.

"Team Rocket!" he exclaimed, seeing Jessie and James lying face down in the scorched forest clearing. Their clothes appeared to be ripped and singed, and what he could see of their faces was covered in soot. As much as Team Rocket had driven him crazy over the years, Ash couldn't help but feel panic rise within him as he ran up to them. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder, and he went to James.

He was instantly relieved when he noticed James' chest rising and falling, and he glanced over to see that Pikachu had discovered the same. He could hear the others entering the clearing now, but ignored them, looking down at James.

"James...can you hear me?" he asked, giving the Team Rocket member a gentle shake.

"Mmm...Mime...Ju..."

Ash frowned, unsure what James was trying to say. He could hear Jessie saying something as well, straining to hear.

"Sev...ipe...Wob...Wobbuf..."

James started mumbling again then, and Ash once again tried to listen to him. "Me...ow...th." His arm slowly started moving, as though he was trying to point behind Ash. Ash turned around, wondering what it was, seeing that Meowth wasn't even there. _Wait..._ His eyes widened, and he looked at his friends who were still trying to take in the scene.

"What...what are they saying?" Serena asked, having heard part of James' mumbling.

Ash gulped, glancing at Henry, who was examining what appeared to be a tuft of fur with bright green leaves in it, and some scratch marks on the ground nearby. "Meowth is gone." Ash finally answered. "Their Pokemon...are gone."

 **Author's Note:**

So things got _dark_ here, didn't they? Well, as I mentioned before, this was originally two chapters. And actually, this changed quite a bit from the original idea for the two chapters. At first, it was just going to be a weekend trip out to search around for the hunters, leading to meeting Henry and then Henry motivates Ash to help Anton and all that. Then, there was going to be a Team Rocket chapter where they encounter the hunters. But, I wanted to emphasize that this school setting actually holds Ash back a bit. He can't just go run off like before...unless someone like our pal Brock bends the rules. And, I decided to raise the stakes for Team Rocket! I felt they needed to be _truly_ in this. With Meowth, Wobbuffett and a couple others taken by the hunters, Jessie and James have to really fight. And this gives me a chance to give an extra scene or two closer to the hunters. Hopefully it works well enough.

See you in the next one.


	10. A Mega Project

**Author's Note:**

Here we are with another chapter. My excuse this time...a slow as f...udge computer. I have a replacement now, though. Hopefully another chapter coming this weekend or maybe a wild week next week. Anyway, on to the aftermath of the attack on Jessie and James that happened last chapter.

 **Chapter 10: A Mega Project**

"Do you remember what this hunter looked like? Anything he was wearing, or any distinguishing features that could make him recognizable?" Officer Jenny's voice was straining with the effort to stay calm, despite the situation, and Ash couldn't blame her. If people were now being attacked and having their Pokemon stolen, there was no telling what could be next.

"I...don't remember," James answered, eyes staring at the ground of the Pokemon Centre. Ash and his friends, accompanied by Henry, had been quick to take Jessie and James there when they'd found them, knowing that Officer Jenny had been keeping in touch with Nurse Joy in case anyone brought Pokemon in that were potentially hurt by the hunters.

Jessie spoke up next, sounding very different from her usual fiery self. Ash would've thought it was another person if he hadn't been looking at her. "It happened so quickly. We were looking...and then Meowth was gone a moment...and then he came back..."

They waited a moment, but it appeared Jessie wasn't going to continue, so Officer Jenny gently pressed for more information. "Did something happen after Meowth came back?"

James answered this time, taking a deep breath as he seemed to struggle to remember clearly. "He had...someone with him."

"A Pokemon," Jessie added, looking up thoughtfully. "The goat Pokemon."

"A Skiddo?" Henry asked, standing a little bit away, but close enough to pay attention.

Jessie nodded. "We'd wondered where Meowth had gone, and then he'd come back with that...Skiddo. It looked like it had been hurt."

"I think it must've been caught by the hunters," James added, straightening up a little as the memory seemed to come back to him. "Meowth had found it, and then freed it."

"That's when the hunter showed up," Jessie murmured, shivering a little with the thought. "He had...an Aggron."

"Yes...and it attacked us right away." Both paused a moment, wincing as though the attack was happening again. Officer Jenny waited patiently, and then James continued. "We called out our Pokemon to fight back, and Meowth joined in, trying to protect Skiddo. The boss..." He looked suspiciously at Officer Jenny and then shook his head. "We had just gotten some of our old Pokemon back that had been gone for awhile, and we started calling them out. Mime Jr. and Jessie's Seviper were the first..." He trailed off, shutting his eyes.

"Wobbuffet tried to get in the way," Jessie added, clenching her fists. "I wanted him to use Counter. He wasn't fast enough, though. Before we knew it, they were all knocked out. When Meowth tried to help Wobbuffet, Aggron grabbed him and threw him down towards the hunter. By then we had our other Pokemon out, but the hunter was too quick for any of them. He had something that was shooting out ropes that tied them up and shocked them...and..."

Ash narrowed his eyes, not sure how to react to that. It sounded a bit like some of the things Team Rocket had used on him in the past, although perhaps a bit more dangerous and better made. He would never wish this happening to anyone, but he did hope that Team Rocket might learn from this. Stealing a Pokemon from its trainer was evil. Nobody deserved it, and nobody had the right to do it.

"It was all happening so fast then," Jessie continued. "We tried to attack the hunter, but Aggron used Hyper Beam on us. The next thing I remembered was...the twerps." She looked awkwardly at Ash, before returning her gaze to Officer Jenny. "I don't know what else I can say."

Officer Jenny noted a few things down, before sighing and looking out the window of the Pokemon Centre. Ash followed her gaze, seeing the peaceful activity of people walking about the city. It was strange knowing what was lurking, while so many seemed unaware and busy with other things.

"You've given us some useful information," Officer Jenny finally said. "We know many of the Pokemon they have taken recently now, which can help the police and travellers be on the lookout. We have a better idea of where they've been and the more aggressive actions they're taking as well. And at least we know that one of the hunters is using an Aggron, so we'll need to be prepared to take on a strong Pokemon like that."

"Will you get Meowth and the others back?" Jessie asked, a hint of her fire back in her voice.

"We'll do our best," Officer Jenny told her. "We still need to-"

"I don't just want your _best_!" Jessie snapped. "I want to know we'll get Meowth and our Pokemon back!"

"I can't guarantee-"

"If you can't get them back, we'll have to resort to our own measures!" Jessie declared, folding her arms. Ash was sure she would've stormed off if she hadn't been so wiped out from the fight with the hunter.

"We'll help you get them back," Ash found himself saying after a moment of awkward silence. "It's not just you looking for your Pokemon. Others need to find theirs as well. And we can't let this keep happening."

Jessie glared at him a moment, looking as though she wanted to snap at him as well. He knew she wouldn't, though. When it came to protecting Pokemon from bad guys, she knew that Ash would never stop. She was mostly on the other end of it. "Fine then," she finally said. "I guess we're on the same team, twerp."

"I'll help, too," Serena promised, Clemont voicing his agreement.

"I can get my fellow bug Pokemon researchers to keep an eye out in all our favourite research locations," Henry added. "The bug Pokemon will know to be careful as well, and keep an eye out. It won't be easy for the hunters to show themselves now."

"They may be more careful for awhile now," Jenny murmured, putting her notebook away. "If they've captured a lot of Pokemon recently, they might be less tempted to go out into the open. Especially after being so bold with you two. I'll contact some of my cousins and see if they've had any attacks in the other cities as well. They may have been looking to corner a few trainers to steal a larger supply of Pokemon at once before hiding away again." With that, she stood up and prepared to leave. "Stay safe out there," she told them all. "Try to stay in groups, and don't get separated from each other or your Pokemon."

When Officer Jenny had left, Ash and the others looked to Jessie and James uncertainly. The two Team Rocket members seemed equally unsure of what to do next, but Jessie seemed to make up her mind a moment later. James sighed and followed suit as she stood up.

"Well, I don't care what she says, we're going to find out where Meowth and the others are as soon as possible, and we don't need anyone with us!" Jessie glared at Ash and his friends, and seemed to dare them to argue with her.

"You don't have any Pokemon with you..." Ash said after a moment. "I would go with you guys but we don't know where to start..."

"We don't need you, twerp!" Jessie snapped. "We'll find Meowth ourselves. Meowth has probably already escaped, and Wobbuffet probably drove the hunters crazy before then."

Ash got the sense that Jessie was just trying to convince herself things would be okay, and he couldn't help but feel that she needed someone to agree. "Yeah...yeah, you're probably right." He looked to Serena and Clemont, noticing them looking sympathetically towards the Team Rocket members. "If you find anything...let us know. We'll fight them together if you want."

Jessie snorted at that, but still nodded, before heading for the exit. James followed after her a moment later, but nodded to Ash and the others before leaving. As they departed, Ash couldn't help but feel like he needed to do more. Unfortunately, he had no idea what that could be right now.

"I can't believe they were attacked like that..." Serena finally said, sitting down after a moment of awkward silence. "And we were so close...we could've helped them."

Ash had been thinking the same thing. If they'd looked a little harder, they might've spotted Team Rocket, or even the hunter, and been able to stop what happened. He looked at Henry, seeing worry in the man's eyes, and knew he was thinking of Anton's lost Pokemon.

"You don't know if you could've helped them," he finally said. "Those two...they might not be the toughest of trainers, but to overwhelm them like that, the hunter must've been quite strong and well equipped. I would be very careful about how you approach this in the future."

"You don't think we should look for them anymore?" Ash asked, narrowing his eyes. "You just said you'd be looking around with your researcher friends."

Henry took a deep breath before answering. "I might not look it, but I'm a capable battler, Ash. Anton didn't get his skills all on his own." He gave a short laugh at that, and then looked outside. "I won't actively seek them out, however, and I recommend you keep your distance for now as well. As Officer Jenny said, they might be more cautious after this, and whatever they've been up to recently might've given them enough room to stay hidden for awhile. They've clearly captured a great deal of Pokemon."

"Isn't that exactly _why_ we should be looking for them?" Clemont asked, sounding as surprised as Ash felt at Henry's words. "There are trapped Pokemon that need help."

"If we knew where they were, we could take all the trainers in Kalos and attack them right now," Henry said calmly. "Unfortunately, they seem to be well hidden, and we know what they're capable of when they find trainers unaware and in the dark. It's frustrating, but we need to find more information. They'll slip up eventually. In the meantime, anyone who can help must be prepared. Train hard here at your school. Be ready for when you can fight the hunters."

Ash wanted to do something right away, but he knew Henry was right. At least for now. "I guess we don't have much of a choice."

"We will train hard, though," Serena said, looking Ash in the eyes. "We'll still be doing something. We'll be getting ready to fight back when we can. I'm not giving up on making sure that the people who hurt Absol will never hurt any other Pokemon."

Clemont nodded his agreement. "We'll learn what we can here, we'll win the IPL, and then we'll stop those hunters when we're the strongest that we can be."

"That's the spirit!" Henry said, smiling. "And Ash," he said, turning back to him. "I'm in this for Anton. When this fight happens, he'll be in it for his Pokemon. I don't think he's ready, but I'm sure you can help him get ready. Give him the best battle you can in your next match, and show him what true battling is all about."

"I will," Ash promised. "You can count on it."

* * *

When Ash, Clemont and Serena walked into the dining area that night for dinner, they found their friends there already, apparently having just sat down. Once they had got their meals ready, they joined them, the others very eager to hear what had happened. Marie had heard some of it from Nurse Joy earlier, but the full story was still quite shocking even for her.

"I can't believe I'm saying it, but...I feel so bad for Team Rocket," Dawn said, staring at her plate of food with wide eyes. "I can't imagine having one Pokemon taken away from me, let alone _all_ of them. Is there really nothing we can do right now?"

"Officer Jenny doesn't seem to think so," Ash answered, picking at his food, not feeling particularly hungry for a change. "Henry seemed to agree. I guess it's not going to get any easier to find them, though, and it seems like they're pretty dangerous right now."

"The more time they have, though, the more time they can prepare for whatever else it is they want to do," Trevor pointed out, a surprising amount of anger and frustration in his voice. "Who even knows what they might be able to do to the Pokemon they've imprisoned if we wait too long."

Ash nodded, not able to think of anything to refute that. "I know...but we don't know where to go. We don't even really know what we're up against. Team Rocket might not be the strongest of trainers, but they had a lot of Pokemon with them, and they were beaten immediately."

"Sitting around here isn't going to help, though," Tierno argued. "We need to be searching with every other trainer out there. At some point we have to be able to find them."

"I don't think it's that easy," Clemont said, looking as exhausted as Ash felt. "They must have a pretty good hideout somewhere. Sure, we've found some places they've been, but they were obviously abandoned long enough to move out a lot of Pokemon. They're hiding them somewhere that seems to have been hidden for years."

"But if we need to know more about what we're up against, we should be out finding more information," Shauna suggested, absentmindedly stroking her Skitty's fur. She looked quite nervous. "We should be able to at least figure out something."

"Officer Jenny knows more about investigating these kinds of things than we do," Serena said, although Ash could tell she wanted to be out there as much as everyone else. "And Henry seems to have been looking for the hunters for a long time, so he must have some idea of what to keep track of with his bug researcher friends."

"We just need to make sure we're as strong as possible for when we have a chance to fight back," Ash told his friends. "We'll train harder for the IPL than ever before, and we'll learn everything we can in our classes."

Despite their agitation, the others voice their agreement. Ash supposed there wasn't much else they could say, knowing how hard it would be to do anything else right now. Then, Marie spoke up, appearing a little uncertain.

"We're going to be pretty busy even without training. We've got an assignment that Professor Sycamore is assigning all the students." She noticed the blank looks on the faces of Ash, Clemont and Serena and seemed to remember that they had missed their last class. "I guess you guys didn't hear. It's a project all the students need to complete to pass the year."

"What is it about?" Clemont asked, seeming more relaxed now that the topic had turned to regular schoolwork.

"It's about Mega Evolution," Dawn answered, pulling out a piece of paper that seemed to have the assignment instructions on it. "We work in pairs and study various aspects of it depending on what we want to focus on."

"It's gonna be easy for Trevs and me," Tierno said proudly, patting his friend on the back. "We can base it all on him and Charizard."

"Too bad I don't have a Mega Stone for the Key Stone I've got," Ash said, glancing at the assignment as Serena looked over it next to him. "I wonder if I could do something with Greninja..."

"I think I have an idea of what I could do," Serena said quietly, reading over some of the topics. "The quest for Mega Evolution...if I went to Kiloude City..." She trailed off, her mind seeming to go elsewhere.

"I think I've got some ideas of what to do as well," Marie said, not noticing as she turned to Dawn. "How about we work together?"

"Sure, I bet I can learn a lot more about Kalos doing this project," Dawn said, looking excited. "Mega Evolution certainly seems to be a big deal."

"Since we did such a good job with Skitty, how about you and me again, Clemont?" Shauna asked, giving Ash and Serena an amused glance before looking to a surprised Clemont.

"Um...sure," Clemont answered, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"I guess that means you and me, Serena," Ash said, smiling towards her. She seemed oddly distracted, though, and didn't seem to notice, other than a quiet, "yeah".

The rest of the meal time was fairly quiet. Ash knew the others were either thinking about the lurking danger of the hunters, or perhaps their new assignment, and his mind also seemed to bounce between the two things. It still frustrated him that he wasn't able to go out and challenge those hunters somehow. He knew it didn't really make a difference that he wasn't travelling like he used to, as the hunters were too well hidden anyway. It didn't stop him from feeling like he was boxed in, though.

 _I want to get out there,_ he thought, eyes looking towards the door that led outside. Regardless of how things had ended with their outing today, it had felt good being out and about. He needed to be active.

He sighed as he went back to his food, though, knowing that despite his urge to be travelling again, he still had much to gain here. Ash had always been on the move, and he supposed that he'd never quite learned to stop. Maybe it had been good for him to slow things down and take in more things as he had been doing here at the school. He'd definitely learned a lot he hadn't before, and he'd gained a great group of friends. And after coming so far in the Kalos League, the IPL had continued to give him a good challenge.

 _I need to work harder, though,_ he told himself. _Whether it's the hunters, the IPL, or just the schoolwork, I want to do the best I can._ He couldn't help but think Professor Sycamore's new assignment might be a good way to start.

As everyone began to finish up, those who resided in the other buildings began to leave, Tierno and Trevor setting off first, before Marie and Dawn followed. Shauna went up to her and Serena's room next, and before too long, Clemont was tiredly saying he was heading up as well. Eventually, the dining hall was growing very quiet as more students left, and before Ash knew it, he and Serena were among only a few still there.

"You okay, Serena?" Ash asked after a moment, seeing her staring at nothing in particular, a distant look in her eye.

She blinked in confusion, but then looked to him, seemingly remembering where she was. "I was just thinking...about the assignment."

"I was, too," Ash said, grinning. "I think it could be good for us. Lots of things to learn about Mega Evolution, and it could give us a lot of training opportunities." He shrugged, unable to shake the feeling that it could be important for more than that. "You never know what else it might lead us to."

"That's the thing," Serena said, nodding in agreement. "I think this assignment could be really helpful for us. I mean...for school, for the IPL and even..."

"The hunters?" Ash asked, leaning forward in interest. Pikachu tilted his head curiously from where he'd positioned himself next to a bottle of ketchup.

"Kalos is a pretty unique place when it comes to Mega Evolution, right?" Serena said, Ash nodding as she looked at him intently. "There must be a reason the hunters are so focused on catching Pokemon around here. Sure, they might have reasons as simple as selling them like what seemed to be happening with Absol. But...maybe they're up to something more."

"You think they're doing something with Mega Evolution?" Ash asked, not liking it, but finding himself agreeing with the idea. "I guess...Korrina mentioned finding a Mega Stone near Shalour City didn't she?"

Serena nodded. "Exactly. They might be exploring using Mega Evolution on some Pokemon, or trying to find a way to get its power. Whatever it is, knowing more about it might help us."

"So where do you want to start?" Ash asked, exchanging a curious look with Pikachu. "I have that Key Stone, but I'm not sure what we can do with it right now."

"I have an idea," Serena said, narrowing her eyes in determination as she pulled out a pokeball. Ash knew it was Absol's.

Ash couldn't help but smile, his heart starting to race with excitement. He could sense a quest coming. "You mean...?"

"I want to go to Kiloude City. I want to find the Absolite!"

* * *

Dark.

Cold.

Cramped.

Quiet.

Meowth had been awake for a few hours now, after finding himself stuffed into a tiny cage. He'd quickly realized he'd been put onto a truck, with dozens of other cages around him. Some were empty, and some were occupied. Most of the occupied ones seemed to have familiar Pokemon in them. To his left, was the Skiddo he had thought he had rescued, and to his right was Jessie's Seviper. Both of them had been unconscious.

It had been a very bumpy ride to wherever it was that they were being kept. Meowth was surprised that the other Pokemon remained knocked out. At least, he was at first. His own pounding headache made him realize that they'd probably all been hit hard by...something. He didn't remember whether that was Aggron or whatever weapons the hunter had used on them. All he knew now was that he hurt all over and he was trapped.

There was a little bit of stirring when they had arrived. A few Pokemon gave some muffled cries when the truck they were in came to an abrupt halt and the back had been opened up, a bright light blinding them after they'd sat in darkness so long. That didn't last too long, however, as they'd immediately had their cages covered in blankets. Meowth supposed that was to block them from having any view of any potential escape routes if they somehow managed to get out. He didn't know if that was very likely though.

Eventually, after listening to grunts and yells from outside, along with some panicked Pokemon cries, he felt his cage being roughly lifted onto something, and then he had been moved somewhere yet again. When the movement stopped, nothing happened for a moment, before another grunt came and he was roughly pushed off of whatever vehicle of some sort that he'd been on and then pushed into position. The blanket had then been pulled off of his cage and he had seen the feet of someone walking away down a dark hall.

Meowth had sat there in silence until now, trying his best to get his bearings. He had hoped his eyes would adjust to the darkness, but there seemed to be a bright light that would come on in whatever room he'd been put in every few minutes. It blinded him when it came on, and then when it went off, he was thrust into darkness again. He had no idea how he would be able to sleep with that happening, let alone see anything at any point.

After awhile, he decided he'd try to just face the back of his cage and keep his eyes squinting as much as possible. It wasn't perfect, but eventually he did seem to be able to make out some shapes, and he was able to time the light coming on somewhat and shut his eyes tight when it did most of the time.

Eventually, he was able to realize that he seemed to be in a hall filled with cages. Not all had Pokemon in them, but most did. They seemed to be stacked five high, but he didn't know how long the hall went, so he had no idea how many total were there with him. He supposed others were in other rooms as well, which made him nervous.

Once he had figured out how the cages seemed to be stacked, however, Meowth was able to find that he seemed to be on the third level, with two cages below him. He didn't know what Pokemon, if any, was in the bottom one, but he had been able to hear the soft whimper of what seemed to be a Growlithe directly underneath him. Directly across from him he could see a Fletchinder, and above that, he could see a blue shape.

He gasped in realization as he noticed the big blue body shift uncomfortably. "Psst!" he hissed. "Wobbuffet!"

"Wob?" the shape shifted, and Meowth could see the face of his Team Rocket companion pressed up against the bars of his cage. It seemed way too small for him, and Meowth realized he was actually fortunate with his smaller frame, as these cages appeared to be one size.

"You okay, pal?" Meowth asked, knowing that obviously nothing was okay right now. However, he was still relieved he hadn't been separated from all the Pokemon he knew. "Can ya see me?"

"Wobba..." The sound from the Patient Pokemon was depressing, and it all but sucked the life out of Meowth. All the times Wobbuffet had emerged from his pokeball with his loud cries had made Meowth think he could never be fazed by anything. Sadly, he seemed to know the dire situation they were in, and he was very clearly in a particularly uncomfortable spot.

"Don't worry big guy," Meowth told him. "We're gonna get outta here, okay?"

Meowth didn't know how that would be possible, but he knew he was going to try until he'd exhausted everything. He knew that twerpette's Absol had escaped these hunters, so there must've been others. And no Pokemon they'd ever caught would've been as smart as him. Maybe he could even talk his way out. _I could convince them Team Rocket is on their side._

He shook his head, knowing right away that would be a bad idea. With the way these hunters seemed to work, they didn't care about allies. They definitely didn't seem to need any. Not to mention, he'd probably be guarded even more carefully if they found out he could talk. Luckily, the guy who'd grabbed him and the others didn't seem to have caught onto that. To them, he was just a normal old Meowth.

"Meow meow meow," he tried to murmur. He needed to sound convincing if he was going to hide his talking ability. The last thing he needed was for them to think he was unusual just because he didn't sound like a Meowth. If they thought something was wrong with him who knew what might happen. He didn't know what would be worse for them to think.

His thoughts were interrupted a moment later as the lights came on again. He shut his eyes quickly to avoid the brightness, but he realized they seemed to be staying on, and he slowly opened them up, blinking rapidly and squinting as he tried to adjust to the light. Eventually, he was able to see that two men had entered the hall they were in.

 _The guy from da forest,_ Meowth realized, peering out through the bars, trying to appear like a normal, scared Meowth. The man was once again wearing a suit, looking around and nodding as his companion, who looked like he was a hunter, but likely much lower ranked than the suit guy., pointed out different Pokemon. _Raphael_ , Meowth remembered the man's name, the call they'd overheard coming to his mind.

"Here's part of the haul we received earlier today," the one hunter suddenly said, pointing to Meowth's cage, then Wobbuffet's and then another one a couple to Meowth's right. "They were taken from a couple trainers that were wearing strange outfits with R's on them.

Raphael seemed displeased by that, turning to the man immediately. "You stole from Team Rocket members?" He shook his head, looking to Meowth's cage, and then Wobbuffet's. He then glanced at the third cage that Meowth couldn't see, and moved over to it, giving it a little kick.

"Doo-oo-oo!" came the familiar sound of Skiddo, and Meowth couldn't help but wince, feeling bad for the poor Pokemon that had almost had freedom.

Raphael suddenly gave a short laugh. "Must've been weak ones. It doesn't appear to be an impressive haul." He looked to Wobbuffet again, then Meowth, and then back to his companion. "Perhaps we can experiment on the Wobbuffet. We'll see if the Meowth can evolve into a Persian, too. The Skiddo, though...they're fairly useless. We can sell that one."

"Yes sir," the other hunter said, nodding. "Would you like to see the rest?"

"Very well."

A moment later, the two were walking away, and before Meowth knew it, the lights were off again. He sighed, sitting back and leaning on the back of the cage. If he didn't know before, he knew now how dangerous things were. He didn't like the sound of them "experimenting" on Wobbuffet, or trying to get him to evolve, whatever that meant.

"Jessie...James...please help."

He didn't sleep that entire night.

 **Author's Note:**

Aww...poor Meowth. Hopefully this isn't getting too dark. Things will look up soon, though. Especially if Serena gets her prize.

Let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time.


	11. The Enemy

**Author's Note:**

Today it's a Monday upload, because Wynaut...and I've been behind so we need to catch up. It's another IPL match coming up, but first...

 **Chapter 11: The Enemy**

The weeks following the incident with Jessie, James and their Pokemon were fairly uneventful, other than the intense training and the schoolwork that kept Clemont and his friends quite busy. They were all a little on edge, wanting to do _something_ more about the hunters, but left with only preparing themselves in the best way possible for whatever might happen. They did their best in their training, though, and worked hard on their various assignments.

Clemont had found the Mega Evolution project to be quite interesting, and he and Shauna had made quite a bit of progress on it, looking into the different kinds of Pokemon that could Mega Evolve and why certain Pokemon had been found to do it, and others hadn't. Korrina had been a great resource for him, and he'd called her often for help. The only difficult thing was dealing with Shauna letting Bonnie know how often he called Korrina.

Today, however, he wanted to call Korrina for a different reason. It was another IPL match this weekend, both for him and his Lumiose University teammates, and for Korrina and Shalour College. Clemont had just finished with his team as they had greeted Coumarine College who was visiting for their second match against Lumiose, and he figured Korrina would be in Laverre City by now, ready for her match against Anton.

He sat down at one of the phones in the Pokemon Centre, ignoring the curious glances from some of the Coumarine students who had also come inside, and he put in the number for the Laverre Pokemon Centre. When the Laverre Nurse Joy answered, he asked if the Shalour IPL team had shown up yet, happy to find that they had. After a few moments, he smiled as Korrina's face appeared on the screen in front of him.

"Clemont! It's good to see you! Have you guys met with Coumarine yet?" the Shalour Gym Leader asked, looking excited, but a little tired from what must've been a long bus ride.

"Yeah, we just finished. How long have you been in Laverre?" Clemont asked, supposing they'd probably tried to get an early start.

"We got here in the afternoon. Having a bit of a rest before heading out to do some training." She paused, leaning forward with excitement. "I brought Vivillon with us. I thought it could use an outing to get a chance to fly around in some different places. Nurse Joy's giving it a checkup right now."

Clemont couldn't hide the surprised look that quickly came to his face, and he realized he was going to have to reveal the true reasoning behind his call soon. Part of him wasn't so sure now, thinking it might not be good to push things if what he suspected turned out to be true. However, he had to trust Korrina to do what was right, and if what he suspected _was_ true, she was in the right place to address it.

"What is it, Clemont?" Korrina asked after a moment. "You look like something is on your mind..." She seemed almost suspicious, peering at him through the screen.

"Well...I've been thinking about something. It's been on my mind a lot lately," he answered slowly, avoiding eye contact for the moment.

"Is it about the hunters?" Korrina asked, her voice a little more gentle now. She knew how upsetting things had been with Team Rocket and the aftermath of what had happened.

"Yeah...well sort of," Clemont said, looking back to the screen and adjusting his glasses. "Remember what I told you about the man that we ran into the day that we found Team Rocket?"

Korrina nodded, glancing around as though making sure nobody was listening. "Yeah, you mentioned it was...Anton and Gabby's dad, right?" She said the last part in a whisper. "I never mentioned anything about that to them. Not that they would've listened...you know how Anton is." She paused, looking curiously at Clemont. "What about him?"

Clemont took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the thoughts running through his head. "I...well...something he said that day has been bugging me." He adjusted his glasses once more as they moved while he shifted uncomfortably. "About...the day he challenged your grandfather."

Korrina's eyes flashed with a hint of irritation. She had told Clemont all about Anton's accusations and his challenge against Gurkinn in the last IPL meeting between Shalour and Laverre. It obviously didn't sit right with her. "You mean when he lost the gym battle...and when his Pokemon disappeared."

Clemont nodded, resting his hands on the desk in front of him. He stared at them a moment, before looking back at Korrina. "His dad mentioned one of Anton's Pokemon was a Vivillon."

Korrina raised an eyebrow at that, although she didn't look like she felt the way he did. "I'd wondered about it, Clemont," she said, "but I really don't know. There are a lot of Vivillon out there."

"He said it was an Elegant Pattern Vivillon," Clemont pointed out. "Think about it Korrina. You found it by Shalour City. It seemed to have been held for a long period of time, right?"

Korrina paused, looking unsure, although Clemont could see that it was starting to make sense to her. "Well...it's still a little unlikely, don't you think? There could still be many of those kinds of Vivillon."

"Maybe," Clemont admitted. "But it's enough of a coincidence that it might be worth looking into. I'm not sure if you want to tell Anton..."

"If anyone would know, it would be him," Korrina suggested, looking away as she considered it. "I'll have to see what he's like. Or maybe I can see if I can talk to Gabby. She's at least a little more reasonable."

Clemont nodded, agreeing with the cautious approach. It was a sensitive issue, and the last thing they needed was getting Anton's hopes up, only to have it not be his Vivillon. He just hoped that if it was Anton's Vivillon, they would be able to be friends again. If Vivillon blamed Anton...

"Do you think this could give us any idea of where the hunters are?" Korrina asked, snapping Clemont's attention back to her. "Maybe their hideout is around here after all."

"Maybe..." Clemont was fairly sure the hunters probably had hideouts all over the place with how big their operation seemed to be, but he couldn't help but think the main hideout must be somewhat close to Lumiose City. The hunters needed the access the city provided to all the others. "There probably was something bigger going on there until recently at least."

"I'll continue to keep an eye out," Korrina promised. There was a voice nearby her, and she looked over to someone that Clemont couldn't see on the screen and she nodded. "Sorry Clemont," she said. "I've gotta go. I'll see what I can do about Vivillon, okay?"

He nodded, smiling back at her. "Sure. Good luck with your battle."

She grinned at that, giving him a confident fist pump. "You too! Tell Elekid I'm rooting for him!"

* * *

Ash cheered alongside his friends as Clemont commanded Elekid to use Swift, the feisty electric type responding quickly and forcing his opponent back. The two of them had shown their hard training the past few weeks to be completely worth it. Ash had seen them growing into a more impressive team every time they trained together, and today they seemed even more in sync.

"Hang in there, Nina!" Ash heard Astrid call out from where the Coumarine team was sitting, off to the left of where the Lumiose team was. He couldn't help but grin back as she looked over to their side, smiling. Before the battles had begun, she'd given him and Serena some good advice on how to approach their project, and their upcoming visit to Kiloude City.

"Nina can't hang in there much longer," Trevor whispered from Ash's side. "Clemont's looking as strong as ever out there.

Ash nodded in agreement, watching as Clemont ordered Elekid to dodge a fierce Flamethrower from Nina's Arcanine, before striking back with a Thunderbolt that brought the fire type to its knees. The rest of the team could see that it was over now, leaning forward in anticipation of the finisher. It looked like Clemont had earned the first point of the weekend's match.

"Finish with Low Kick!" Clemont called out, sounding confident as ever. Ash could see that his friend's victory over Korrina had done a lot for him.

"Bee bee!" Elekid cried out, dropping down from his aerial Thunderbolt and immediately swinging his leg out underneath Arcanine as it struggled to its feet. "Bee!"

A moment later, as Arcanine landed hard in front of Nina, the referee was making the call. "Arcanine is unable to battle! Elekid is the winner! The first point goes to Lumiose University!"

The crowd cheered loudly, many of the students even chanting Clemont's name. Ash and his friends laughed at that, before briefly joining in. It seemed that the Lumiose Gym Leader had become quite popular after defeating Korrina's Lucario, and now having earned another crucial and convincing win here.

Things quieted down as everyone prepared for the next match and Clemont returned from the battlefield, smiling nervously as he received a few extra cheers. Ash made his way over to him, congratulating him before heading out to his place on the battlefield, ready for his own match. He glanced to the opposite end when he arrived, seeing that Coumarine had sent out Night, his opponent from their first match. He'd been interested in taking on Astrid, but Trevor had asked for the opportunity as he had last time. He had seemed very determined to earn the team a win in the fashion Clemont had against Korrina.

Ash was glad they didn't have to wait too long, hearing Professor Sycamore calling for everyone's attention, and seeing the referee step forward. He asked for the two trainers to call out their Pokemon, and Ash saw Night send out a Jolteon. He couldn't help but grin at that, wondering if Night had assumed he'd get a type advantage thinking Greninja would be used again. Well, he was getting the type advantage, but not because Ash was using Greninja.

"Dartrix, I choose you!" he called out, the grass and flying type emerging from the pokeball and flying up high, before descending slowly to hover in front of Ash. The crowd cheered for him, and Ash felt excited to be out here again, knowing that it was what he needed with all that had gone on with the hunters.

The referee waited for the cheers to die down, and then raised an arm, looking to both trainers and waiting to confirm that they were ready. When they both nodded, he waved his arm, and yelled, "Let the battle begin!"

Ash was quick to order the first attack, knowing that Night would want to make use of Jolteon's speed, and not wanting to give him the chance to take that advantage right away. "Dartrix, hit them with Ominous Wind!"

"Darooo!" the Blade Quill Pokemon flew up high, flapping his wings as hard as he could, before suddenly sending a wave of ghostly, purple wind down towards Jolteon. Ash could hear Night commanding Jolteon to dodge, but it was too widespread, and as Jolteon tried to dart around it, the attack was slamming into it, sending it flying backwards across the field.

With the advantage theirs, Ash was quick to act again, pumping his fist as he gave his next order. "Now Dartrix, use Leaf Blade!"

"Hoooo!" the flying and grass type cried out, flapping his wings again, before darting down towards his opponent. As hear neared, he raised his wing, now glowing green, before swinging it down just as Jolteon started to rise.

"Jooolllttt!" Jolteon cried out in pain, sent flying once again from the quick strike. With a call from Night, however, it seemed determined to right itself quickly, spinning around midair and managing to land on its feet, but wincing with the effort.

"Jolt, use Quick Attack!" Night commanded quickly, sounding desperate to prevent Ash's momentum from continuing.

"Counter with another Leaf Blade!" Ash shouted, narrowing his eyes as Jolteon took off. Unfortunately, however, Dartrix didn't move quick enough, Jolteon slamming into his chest and knocking him backwards, wincing. Ash did just as Night did, though, ordering the next move right away to stop the opposing momentum. If they wanted a fast paced battle, Ash would give it to them. "Peck!"

"Darooo!" Dartrix used the speed of his fall to carry him lower to the ground, before flapping his wings and charging on Jolteon. The speedy electric type was taken off guard as Dartrix's glowing beak slammed right into it, sending it skidding across the ground and back towards its trainer.

Ash knew Night might order another quick attack, so he kept it up, calling for a follow up. "Now, Leaf Blade, Dartrix!"

Dartrix seemed more fired up than ever now, enjoying the battle's pace picking up as Night also ordered an attack, Jolteon already preparing a Pin Missile as Dartrix charged towards it. "Darooo!" the Blade Quill Pokemon cried out, swinging his glowing green wing back and forth as he deflected the Pin Missile barrage that came at him, before he finally reached Jolteon and lashed out, knocking it hard to the ground.

Jolteon wasn't quite done, however, with Night ordering a Thunderbolt while it strained to stand. It managed to turn quickly enough, surprising Dartrix with the bolt of electricity from up close. The Blade Quill Pokemon staggered back, falling over as his body sparked with electricity. However, Ash noticed that Hawlucha's attitude seemed to be rubbing off on Dartrix, with the owl Pokemon looking further enthusiastic as he rose to his feet.

"All right, Dartrix," Ash said with a laugh. "How about we show your true power?! Use Peck with everything you've got!"

"Use Thunderbolt!" Night commanded in response.

With that, both Pokemon moved quickly, Dartrix flapping his wings and darting into the air to narrowly avoid the bolt of electricity that came at him. As he turned in midair, Jolteon kept up the assault, bolts of yellow lightning continuously launched towards him as he descended, moving faster and faster as his beak glowed. With the increased speed of his downward momentum, he was able to more easily avoid the attacks, and before Jolteon knew it, Dartrix was right there, slamming his beak into the electric type with all his might.

"Now finish with Ominous Wind!" Ash yelled, Dartrix twirling as he flapped his wings, before sending the ghostly wind towards the wincing Jolteon.

The call was easy as the referee stepped forward. "Jolteon is unable to battle. Dartrix is the winner, and Lumiose University earns the point!"

The crowd cheered loudly, and Ash and Pikachu excitedly ran up to Dartrix, the Blade Quill Pokemon flapping his wings excitedly. "Dartrix, great job!" Ash told him happily. "You've come a long way since being a little Rowlet!"

Dartrix hooted happily at that, and seemed about ready to flap his wings once more, before a surprised look came to his face, and he went still. Ash wondered if something was wrong with him for a moment, before suddenly the Blade Quill Pokemon's body began to glow, and the crowd's cheering grew quiet as they watched in amazement.

Ash watched in excitement as Dartrix's body grew before him. He could see the Blade Quill Pokemon's wings growing behind him, almost like a cape. His head appeared to have a hood of leaves grow over it. His legs extended, making him stand as tall as Ash. When the light dimmed, Ash could barely see his new Pokemon's face, the hood covering it in shadow. He pulled out his PokeDex eagerly.

"Decidueye, the Arrow Quill Pokemon," the PokeDex started. A grass and ghost type, and the final evolved form of Rowlet. Decidueye's aim is so good that it fires its arrow quills, it can hit a pebble over a hundred yards away."

"Wow, so you must know a new move!" Ash said excitedly, seeing his PokeDex listing something called Spirit Shackle a moment later. He couldn't wait to try it out.

After a few moments, the excitement of the evolutions died down a bit, and Ash and Night shook hands, congratulating one another on the good battle. Then, Ash and his newly evolved Decidueye returned to the sidelines, the team waiting excitedly to congratulate them.

"Wow! Decidueye is so cute!" Bonnie cried out from Clemont's side, shaking with excitement.

"I guess Grotle and I will need to train harder to keep up," Clemont said, laughing as Decidueye showed off his new cape. "Decidueye's going to be pretty tough to beat."

"We'll need all the strong Pokemon we can get," Dawn pointed out, glancing at her own PokeDex to see what it had to say about Decidueye. "Seems like it could even give Greninja a good battle..."

"That'll be interesting to see in our training sessions," Ash said with a laugh, excited about what he could learn about his powered up Pokemon. He then looked to Trevor, who was glancing nervously over at the Coumarine team, where Astrid was standing now, ready to head out onto the battlefield. "You ready to win this thing, Trevor?" he asked.

Trevor blinked in surprise as he looked back. "Um...yeah."

Ash was surprised Trevor was so nervous, considering he'd defeated Astrid the last time. "You okay?"

Trevor glanced at the others, who seemed to still be discussing Decidueye's evolution, and whispered to Ash. "It's just...the stakes are so high now. Not just with the IPL, but...everything. I don't want to let us down."

"You'll be fine, Trevor. Just trust Charizard, and you can do it. You won last time, so remember that. You can do it again." Despite Ash's confident words, he felt a little uneasy as Trevor walked away, giving a little nod. There certainly was more pressure lately, with the hunter threat seeming bigger. Winning an IPL match wasn't a big deal when it came to that, though. Of course, he supposed Trevor felt that winning against Astrid could prove they had it in them to take on whatever threat they faced.

"All right, everyone!" Professor Sycamore called out a moment later, as Ash took his seat, and Trevor and Astrid took their positions on the battlefield. "This is the final battle of the Battle Teams match between Coumarine College and Lumiose University. Trevor and Astrid, good luck!"

As the trainers called out their Pokemon, Ash glanced over to his friends, noticing Tierno looking a little nervous as he watched Trevor. "Do you think Trevor's okay?" Ash asked, turning to watch Charizard and Absol emerge from their pokeballs. "He seems a little..."

"I don't know," Tierno said after a moment. "I think he just feels like he's not contributing the way you and Clemont have. You guys seem to be on a real roll, and your rhythm is really going, but he hasn't had the same kind of momentum."

"He beat Astrid last time, though," Ash said, surprised. He looked to Flint, who was listening with a curious look on his face. "And you guys have done a lot of training with Charizard, haven't you?"

"That doesn't do everything for confidence," Flint said, narrowing his eyes as the referee called for the battle to begin on the field. "It's important to feel like a big member of the team. You and Clemont do stand out a bit, especially being the recent runner up of the Kalos League and one of the stronger Gym Leaders."

Ash frowned, looking to the field as Trevor's Charizard was struck with a Megahorn, before countering with a Dark Pulse that Astrid's Absol deflected with Dark Pulse. "But Trevor has been great. He's won us a couple of big points already. Beating Astrid was huge for us."

"I suppose there wasn't as much pressure at that point," Serena suggested. "With the rough start for all of us, we didn't really know what to expect. And now with the hunters, everything seems so important." She paused, wincing as Trevor's Charizard was taken to the ground with another Megahorn from Astrid's Absol. "Astrid certainly seemed ready for this match, too. There isn't much time left to earn points."

Ash nodded, feeling bad that Trevor was in this position. It was upsetting enough if he felt that he wasn't a valuable member of their team, but now he was battling a very motivated and skilled trainer. He probably hadn't prepared for that with his mind on other things.

He was getting so distracted with his own thoughts on the matter that he nearly didn't notice it as both trainers suddenly clutched at their Key Stones. Astrid immediately held her hand to her earring, while Trevor held up his camera. The light was extremely bright as both Pokemon began to change form, and the crowd cheered loudly as the Pokemon were revealed in their stronger forms. Immediately, the sun grew brighter and hotter in the sky with Charizard's ability he acquired through Mega Evolution, while Absol took to the sky to face him in an aerial battle with his newly formed wings.

With Absol Mega Evolved, Serena was quick to call out her own, excited to show him what they hoped to achieve together someday. Ash was glad for that at least. As nervous as he was for Trevor, he was glad Serena and Absol were gaining something valuable out of the battle.

Trevor wasn't out of it yet, though, perhaps a little more fired up with his Charizard powered up, and with Drought giving him a potential early advantage. Ash joined the Lumiose students in cheering loudly as Charizard unleashed a powerful Fire Spin that surrounded Absol before he or Astrid could react.

"Sol!" it cried out in surprise, the flames creating such heat that even people in the crowd groaned at it.

Astrid wasn't one to give in that easily, though, ordering a Shadow Claw to rip right through it. And, despite the strain of doing so, Absol did just that, his ghostly claw shredding a way through the flames, before he flapped his newly formed wings and accelerated away from them.

Trevor was too surprised to order a counter, and Ash clenched his fists nervously, knowing Astrid had the opportunity to take command of the match right then. "Absol, use Psycho Cut!"

"Sol!" the pink crescent-shaped attack struck a shocked Charizard in the chest, forcing him to flap his wings to keep himself upright, and thus leaving him vulnerable for a worse attack.

"Follow up with Megahorn and then finish with Dark Pulse!"

The Lumiose students could only watch in stunned silence as Absol drove a glowing green horn into Charizard's chest, the sunlight already seeming to dim as he sagged from the blow. Then, as the swirling black and purple energy from Dark Pulse sent him crashing to the ground, Charizard could only give one small cry of fear.

As the referee called the match, Ash looked uneasily to his team. The Battle Team had still won the day, with two points, however, Coumarine had stayed in it. It would be tight to the very end, and their next match was against Laverre...and Anton.

* * *

Gabby yawned as she exited the Laverre Performance theatre. The contest battles were still taking place, but she had seen enough to know that her team had the points in the bag already. The Shalour team had started off well enough, winning the Theme Performance, but Gabby had easily won the Freestyle Performance, and the contest battles appeared they would be going the same way. She had decided that doing a little training while her team finished up would be more worth it.

She was going to head back over to school's training facilities, expecting it would be empty, but as she began walking, she noticed Valerie exiting the Performance theatre behind her. The Laverre Gym Leader didn't even appear to notice Gabby was there. It seemed as though she was looking for someone or something, and with her focus so intent on it, she didn't even see her student in front of her.

Curious as to what Valerie might be seeking, Gabby decided to follow as Valerie headed down a path that led towards the forest. Gabby knew this was where Anton's favourite private training spot was, so she wondered if that was maybe what Valerie would be doing. She supposed it made sense, given the fact that despite being a teacher at the school, she was still a Gym Leader, and a highly regarded one at that. Not that it ever mattered to Anton when it came to training advice or classes.

As Gabby followed, though, she realized Valerie was heading deeper into the forest than she often ever went. Anton definitely didn't train this far out, unless he was looking for Pokemon to catch. Gabby almost wondered if Valerie planned to walk all the way to the Wetlands between here and Lumiose City as she kept going, appearing to have no interest in slowing down or stopping. Eventually, though, she did slow down, before indeed coming to a stop. Gabby quickly hid behind a tree when she did.

"If you're going to come, why not walk with me?"

Gabby winced, not liking that she was noticed. She came out from behind the tree, though, and walked up to Valerie, who eyed her curiously. "Sorry," she muttered. "Just curious about where you were going."

Valerie smiled at that, not seeming bothered. "It's all right." She then paused, looking as though she was considering something, before she nodded to herself. "I've never asked, but you have mentioned something of your Altaria's past. It has something to do with what happened with Anton's Pokemon in Shalour City, correct?"

Gabby narrowed her eyes, not liking the sudden the question. She noticed a sense of urgency in Valerie's voice, though, as though this was necessary information for...something. For some reason, she found herself nodding. "Yes...I think it was held by Pokemon hunters before. It might've escaped when...Anton's were taken."

Valerie nodded, sadness in her eyes. "Terrible...for anyone to go through. For the Pokemon most of all, of course, but it's clear what it's done to Anton."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gabby asked defensively. She didn't like how Anton acted a lot of the time, but she wasn't going to let him get insulted...even if part of it was his own fault.

"I'm not accusing him of anything. He was young and upset, I know." Valerie paused again, and then looked down the path she'd been walking on. "I ask because I believe it is connected to what I'm doing here, Gabby."

Gabby followed her teacher's gaze, and then looked back, meeting her eyes. "What do you mean? You think you've found hunters? Like in Shalour and Lumiose City?"

Valerie sighed, looking a little unsure of how to answer that. "I haven't found anything like what those students found. However..." She tilted her head suddenly, as if hearing something, and then her eyes widened. "Behind the bushes," she whispered suddenly. "Now!"

Gabby obeyed without question, listening to the urgency in Valerie's voice above anything else. The two quickly got off the path, getting low behind some bushes a few feet to the side. For a moment, Gabby waited in silence, wondering was about to happen. When nothing happened right away, she started to stand up, opening her mouth to speak, but was stopped as Valerie reached out to pull her back down. Fortunately she did, too, as just then, a voice was heard from the path.

"I don't care how hurt it gets. Make it fight. A Meowth is worth very little to us. A Persian on the other hand, we could do something with." There was another moment of silence, and then the voice spoke again. "Yes, the Wobbuffet as well. Throw in the Skiddo, too. If the experiments don't work, they still need to fight. If they fight, they might grow a little backbone, and then we can sell them." The voice stopped again, the person laughing. "Maybe we can sell them back to Team Rocket."

Gabby's eyes widened as she recognized the voice, and she peered through the bushes, just catching sight of the man who was speaking, a phone held to his ear as he walked away. As he disappeared down the path, back in the direction of the Performance theatre, Gabby turned to Valerie.

"R-R-R...Raphael? He...he's involved with Pokemon hunting?" She felt almost numb, staring at the ground in shock. "Anton...Anton needs to know." She looked to Valerie again. "We have to tell everyone."

Valerie looked as sick as Gabby felt, but she gave a small shake of her head. "I know it's tempting, but we have to be very careful about this. Tell your brother if you must, but we can't let Raphael know we're onto him." She could see Gabby about to protest, and held up her hand. "You've heard about the Pokemon missing in the forests all around Lumiose City, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but that's all the more reason to stop Raphael!" Gabby argued. "We can't let him continue."

"No, we can't...but think of those Pokemon right now. If Raphael is aware of any suspicion against him, he'll have those Pokemon moved, sold or who knows what before anything can be done to save them. This is an operation that's gone on for years." She was shaking, and Gabby felt relieved to know Valerie was as angered and scared by this as she was. "We need evidence, we need to know how bad this is and we need to know where the Pokemon are and how to save them."

"I'll do whatever you need me to do," Gabby promised. _For Altaria...for Fletchinder...for Vivillon...for Serena's Absol...for Anton...and for all the other Pokemon._

"For now, we need to wait," Valerie said, sighing. "But soon, Raphael may slip up. If we can find any sign of where he's keeping those Pokemon, we can act."

 **Author's Note:**

So Gabby has found out it's a Laverre teacher and IPL coach running the hunters...now that makes things a little more tense, does it not? I do wonder how Anton might take this news...

As for the rest. Well, poor Trevor isn't feeling like a crucial member of the team. We'll need to address that. Poor Trevor. I feel bad for Trevor. Trevor must be sad. But still, LU ends the battle day with 2/3 points so they're doing well. Next up, the Performance Team, and maybe we'll find out what's going on with Gabby, Anton and Korrina. See you next time.


	12. A Memory

**Author's Note:**

Ugh...this chapter gave me fits. I wrote it, then changed my mind on things previously, then added a scene, deleted a scene, transferred a scene, re-wrote a scene...re-wrote another scene...ugh. Anyway, generally a lot of the main plot stuff is the same as the original idea here...it's just a different way of going about it. Not that that changes anything for you. Hopefully it doesn't seem screwed up. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 12: A Memory  
**

Despite having cheered for Trevor, and being disappointed by his loss, Serena couldn't help but be inspired by Astrid's impressive performance with her Absol. As Professor Sycamore had wrapped up the end of the match, congratulating both teams on their efforts, Serena had headed over to talk to Astrid to congratulate her herself.

It wasn't only her, either, with Absol being clearly intrigued by his Mega Evolved counterpart. It seemed to have made both more eager to grow stronger and prepare themselves for their quest to find the Mega Stone.

Her brief conversation with Astrid after the battle had given her something extra to think about, however. And, as Serena had joined her friends on the way to the Performance theatre, she couldn't get her head straight. She was excited as she continued to think, but she didn't know if it was really the right time to try what she was considering.

Dawn had seemed to notice Serena being lost in thought as they waited outside the Performance theatre, and while the others were talking about the battles and trying to encourage Trevor, she asked Serena what was up. "You look like you're worried about your performance. Everything okay?"

"No...not really," Serena said, glancing down to her side where Absol was looking up at her curiously. "I've just been thinking a lot about that Mega Stone and what we need to do if we're going to find it."

Dawn nodded, looking at Absol and then back to Serena. "You two have been training pretty hard. What exactly are you worried about? It seems like you guys are in perfect sync."

Serena shrugged, looking over as Ash was calling out his other Pokemon to see the newly evolved Decidueye. "It just feels like we're missing something. We have a lot of different routines, and even our battle training has gone well." She shook her head. "I don't know...I guess we haven't had the opportunity to try it all out."

Dawn thought about that for a moment, and then smiled as though coming up with an idea. "Well how about you try something different. Tierno can do the double contest battle and you and Absol can do the one on one battle. I can do one of the performances!"

Serena blinked in surprise. "I don't know. We didn't really prepare for that."

Dawn waved her hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter. You've trained plenty and you do well when you get the chance to battle. You even nearly beat Ash in Professor Sycamore's tournament. You have a coordinator's instincts with all the performing you've done. Fantina knows you can do it, too. You've done some practice with her, right?"

Serena considered that, remembering some of the training battles Fantina had put them all through. It wasn't like a contest battle was completely new to her at this point. She'd even been in a limited one to enter into the school. It had weighted her performing moves more heavily, but Absol did have a fighter's instincts. "Do you really think we should risk it?"

"It's not a risk," Dawn assured her. "Shauna and Tierno will do great as usual, and we've worked on this. We're ready. There's no need to worry!"

Serena couldn't help but laugh at Dawn's catchphrase. "Well...if you think we should do it...let's go for it!"

The rest of the team seemed oddly excited by the change of plans. Perhaps giving them a bit of a different look was just what they needed. Coumarine had shown in the battle round that they weren't going to be an easy win, despite the sweep from the match in the first semester. Maybe giving them something that couldn't have been planned for would be the right move.

It wasn't too long before the Performance Team headed backstage, and the others headed to the seats. Sometimes, Dawn and Tierno would sit with them during the performances, but this time the coordinators and performers decided to stick together given their different approach. They decided that Dawn would do the Theme Performance, while Shauna would do the Freestyle, as Dawn was more used to keeping the Pokemon the focus in contests and Shauna understood more about being part of it in the Freestyle round.

They waited in silence until Fantina could be heard on the stage, explaining the rules and informing the crowd of who would be performing first, and what the task for the Theme Performance would be. Serena could see Dawn listening intently as Fantina described the task, and Serena was glad to see that she didn't look nervous at all. In fact, she seemed quite confident.

When Dawn finally went out onto the stage, Serena, Tierno and Shauna looked to the screen that was backstage to watch the performance, getting a better view of the task that Dawn would have to perform. It seemed fairly simple, with two blocks of ice that would apparently need to be sculpted with the help of a Pokemon to demonstrate their bond with their trainer. Serena wasn't surprised to see Dawn select Buneary as her partner, while her opponent from Coumarine, Vanessa, selected Chikorita.

Serena listened as Fantina prepared to call for the performers to start. "Both performers will have ten minutes to complete ze task," she announced to the crowd. Serena could see the many intrigued faces, and almost regretted not being able to do the task herself. She could already imagine something pretty unique using Braixen. She was sure Dawn would do well, though, and she watched in interest as Fantina called out, "Begin!"

"Buneary, I know exactly what we can do. Start things off with Dizzy Punch, right in the middle!" Dawn's first command was quick and exact, and the confidence seemed to catch her opponent off guard, with Vanessa turning to watch a moment, distracted by Buneary's quick work in chipping away a few chunks of ice.

It was surprising for Serena as well, but also quite inspiring. As Dawn and Buneary continued, they didn't miss a step. They'd seamlessly made the transition from coordinating to performing. Obviously there were many similarities between the two things, but Serena wasn't sure if she could be as adaptable with moving from the performing aspect to the coordinating aspect just yet. She supposed she would find out soon enough.

Before too long, as Dawn and Buneary worked to the crowd's amazement, the time ran out, and the two performers called a halt to their Pokemon, while Fantina called for the judges to begin their examinations. Serena was impressed by Vanessa's work, with her Chikorita having used a combination of Razor Leaf and Vine Whip to shape the ice into what appeared to be flower that obviously symbolized the love of grass types Vanessa must have. Dawn's was something else to behold though.

It was in the shape of Prism Tower, easily recognizable to everyone in the crowd who saw the tower every day. However, what made it stand out, and what showed off the bond between Dawn and her Pokemon as the task was meant to, was what the tower appeared to be made of on a closer look.

At the top, it appeared to have an image of Dawn's face. Lower, it appeared to have Piplup, and then Buneary, and Quilava, and Vivillon and so on. They blended in so perfectly that it didn't take away from the beauty of the tower itself, but when looked at closely, they showed to be impressive images in their own right.

"And ze winner is..." Fantina called out as the judges finished their tally of points. "Dawn from Lumiose University!"

The crowd cheered loudly at that, and Serena could see Ash and the others in the crowd leading the way. She was glad to see Trevor looking cheered up after his defeat. It was definitely what the group needed after the minor setback. The momentum was clearly back on their side.

The momentum carried over into the Freestyle Performance as well, with Shauna taking on Tifa. Shauna had practiced a few routines with Serena for when she would be in a Freestyle Performance again, and Serena was blown away by the variety of things she was able to show in as she, Ivysaur and Skitty took to the stage. Their initial performance made great use of Skitty's quick and playful movements, while Ivysaur managed to create an atmosphere around Shauna and the two Pokemon that fully drew people in.

"Ivysaur, use Sweet Scent! Skitty, use Disarming Voice!" she called out as the performance moved into the more competitive stage, with the trainers competing for the audience's and judges' attention. While Disarming Voice wasn't pleasant in battle for some Pokemon, it blended perfectly with Sweet Scent, appearing to have a soothing effect on the audience as the two attacks swept over them in a pink glow.

Serena tried to see what Tifa was doing on the other end of the stage, but Shauna was very hard to turn away from, even despite an impressive display of Steel Wing and Spikes from Tifa's Skarmory. Before Serena knew it, the spotlight seemed to only be on Shauna, Ivysaur and Skitty, and the three of them thrived more and more as they continued.

"Ivysaur, let's finish with Energy Ball! Skitty, use Disarming Voice!" Shauna yelled as things began to wrap up, the crowd cheering loudly for her.

"Saur!"

"Mrow!"

Energy Ball was the first to be released, firing into the air above the crowd, shining brightly like a green disco ball in the stage lights. A moment later, Skitty's Disarming Voice struck it, hitting it with the strange melody that gave it an odd pink glow. The Energy Ball suddenly began to shake, before exploding in green and pink lights, that almost seemed like fireworks. The crowd went wild once more, and Serena was sure she, Dawn and Tierno were even louder backstage as they cheered.

As Fantina announced the expected result, and Shauna returned backstage while things were being set up for the contest battles, Serena found that she had almost forgotten she was about to go out there. She did feel better, knowing that Dawn and Shauna had earned the first two points for their team, but a bit more nervousness came to her the more she thought about it. She tried to put it out of her mind as she went to get changed.

When she was ready, she rejoined her teammates, Shauna explaining how she'd come up with some of the ideas for her performance, with Skitty having been improving steadily in recent weeks. She'd been training hard with various combinations with Disarming Voice, and found that it worked best with Ivysaur's moves.

"I bet some of those combinations would do well in a contest battle," Dawn said, looking thoughtful. "It could really throw off an opponent, but it still really shows off the beauty of the attack as well."

"You'll have to think like that now, Serena," Tierno pointed out, sounding excited for her, but unknowingly adding to some of her nerves. "Absol's up to it, though, I bet!"

"No need to worry, Serena," Dawn assured her, seeming to sense some of her nerves. "Just work with Absol like it's any performance, and then just remember you've got to land some attacks with it. Work together and you'll be fine."

Serena nodded, appreciating that Dawn seemed confident in her and that her advice was simple. "We'll do our best!"

As if on cue, they heard Fantina calling out to the crowd for their attention and announcing the contest battles were about to take place. She gave a quick rundown of the rules and the setup for the single and double battles, before asking for the first two trainers to head out.

"For Coumarine College," Fantina announced as the trainers emerged, "we have Brian!" Everyone cheered politely, but Serena did notice the Coumarine students were the loudest. "And for our very own Lumiose University," Fantina continued as the crowd grew louder, "we have Serena!"

Her friends were the loudest, but the entire audience cheered enthusiastically for her, and it gave Serena a bit of a confidence boost. She was beginning to get excited now, knowing that this would be valuable experience for Absol, and for her. It was a huge step to take if they ever planned to reach their goal of getting that Mega Stone and eventually having Absol Mega Evolve.

As the two trainers took their positions and the crowd quieted down, Fantina explained the time limit rules once again, and then stood back. "Now trainers, please select your Pokemon!"

"Charmeleon, let's go!" Brian shouted, his fire type emerging in a flash of light, flipping through the air as he let out a circle of flame. The crowd applauded at that, watching eagerly as Serena went next.

"Absol, come on out!" she cried out, Absol emerging in the bright light. He didn't do quite the flashy entrance that Charmeleon did, but he impressed the audience with a roar and stood proud, confident and eager. Serena was proud of him, knowing this would be tough for him, too, and admiring his willingness to jump right in.

As the crowd drew quiet, the scoreboard lit up, showing both trainers and their points totals full, with the time underneath. Serena sighed as she prepared for the battle to begin, knowing that she would need to act quickly like Ash, and precise like Dawn if she was going to keep up with the experience her opponent had. Performing did help her with flashier moves, but battles were still different. Absol had the spirit for it, though, so she believed in him.

"Let ze battle begin!" Fantina then called out, and the time began to run down.

"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" Brian shouted first, his Charmeleon opening its mouth and beginning to run, flames already shooting forth.

Serena had a counter, ready, though, knowing Absol could avoid the flames easily. "Detect, Absol!"

"Sol!" he cried out, eyes flashing as the flames drew near, before he darted to the side, avoiding them easily as Charmeleon continued his run. That's when Serena realized she'd fallen into a trap, despite causing Brian to lose a few points from the missed attack.

"Dragon Claw!" her opponent then yelled, with Charmeleon displaying quick movement and flipping to the side to swipe a glowing green claw across Absol's back, and then flipping backwards as the Disaster Pokemon stumbled.

"Impressive!" Fantina called out, while Serena's score dropped below Brian's. "Using Flamethrower to hide himself, Charmeleon delivers ze Dragon Claw with perfect accuracy!"

Serena winced, wishing she'd been more prepared for that. It was the kind of move Ash might've used, so she had seen combinations like that before. It was a bit different, though, with Charmeleon blending in with the flames. _That_ was what made it a flashy contest battle move. She needed to find more ways to combine her attacks like that.

Brian was ready to keep up the assault, now having the lead, and Serena clenched her fists as he called his next order. "Charmeleon, use another Flamethrower!"

Serena was sure he wasn't going to use the same combination twice, but she knew she needed to act, and do something different than last time. "Absol, counter it with Psycho Cut! Straight through!"

"Absol!" Absol confirmed, horn glowing pink as the flames began to burst forth from Charmeleon, while Brian called out another order Serena didn't quite hear. The pink, crescent-shaped attack flew forth, bursting through the flames and creating a pink and red dust that caused Brian's points to drop to even with Serena's.

She felt good about that for a moment, but then she noticed that past the distinguished Flamethrower, was only smoke, and Charmeleon appeared to be gone. Both her and Absol looked around, unsure of where the fire type was, and then suddenly, Brian was calling out another order.

"Dragon Claw, again!"

"Charrr!" Charmeleon cried, descending on Absol from above and slicing at him with a glowing green claw once more. Absol cried out in pain, stumbling to the side as Charmeleon danced away to avoid any quick counterattacks.

"Brian is displaying quick movements with his Charmeleon," Fantina commented, the crowd calling out encouragement for Serena at the same time. "Absol has remained still much of ze match so far."

Serena knew she was right, and she noticed her score had dropped quite a bit more, with Brian having a more sizable lead. She needed a combination of her own, and quick. She couldn't afford to wait around. "Absol, use Double Edge!" she then shouted, not wanting to give Brian the chance to attack first again.

"Sol!" Absol narrowed his eyes as he locked on to Charmeleon, and then he ran as hard as he could, head aimed low to strike with all his might.

Brian looked like he was considering the attack a moment, before he called his next move. "Charmeleon, use Smokescreen!"

"Blow it away with Icy Wind!" Serena countered, smiling at the shocked look on Brian's face.

As Absol ran, and Charmeleon began to blow smoke up around himself, a cold wind suddenly shot forth. It didn't seem to bother Charmeleon much, other than a brief shiver, but it did quickly remove his hiding place, and before he could do anything else, Absol struck. With Icy Wind having made a light sheet of ice in front of him, it was an impressive sight, with Charmeleon sliding away, while Absol stopped in a spray of snow.

"Charrr!" Charmeleon cried out, wincing as he stood.

Serena heard the crowd cheer loudly, and glanced back at the scoreboard, finding she'd managed to take the lead, with her points about two thirds full, while Brian's had dropped to just above half. She knew she needed to keep it up, though, with her advantage having come by taking the lead. "Now Absol, use Psycho Cut!"

"Counter it with Swift!"

The two attacks clashed between the two Pokemon with a shower of pink and gold sparks. Serena saw both of their points decrease a bit, but felt fine, knowing she still had the lead. If she could keep on the offensive, she could continue to chip away at Brian's points, while her own stayed above, even if she lost some points too.

"Absol, use Icy Wind!" she shouted confidently, smiling as the crowd cheered once more. She was beginning to enjoy this.

"Sol?" Absol looked a little surprised at the order, but he quickly followed up on it, turning his head back and sending the icy energy out towards Charmeleon.

"Flamethrower!" Brian ordered in answer, watching the scene in front of him with narrowed eyes.

"Charrr!" Serena watched closely as well, seeing the flames burn through the ice and cause the centre of the field to have steam shoot up around it. Her points dropped, but it opened up the opportunity to strike Charmeleon again.

"Psycho Cut!"

"Sol!"

"Charrr!"

Charmeleon staggered back as the psychic attack burst through the steam, seemingly collecting some of the melted ice and striking him with extra force. Once again, Brian's points dropped, Serena remaining in the lead.

As the crowd cheered, though, Serena thought she could hear Dawn's voice from where she and the others were watching backstage, urging her to be careful. She supposed it was just a warning to be extra cautious if Brian wanted to make any quick moves, though, and she knew if she kept up her strategy, she would be fine.

Twice more she attacked, first calling for Double Edge, which was slowed by a Swift to keep him back and a Dragon Claw to prevent the full force of the attack. Both trainers lost points, but Serena stayed in the lead. Then, she called for Psycho Cut, which was countered with Swift, before she ordered Detect to avoid that and then used Icy Wind which forced Charmeleon to stumble away. Again, both trainers lost points, but Serena held her lead. Time was running out, now, and she was down to about one fifth of her points, while Brian had a tenth of his.

"Now Absol, use Double Edge!" Serena called out one last time, voice carrying with her confident order.

The crowd seemed to love it, but once again she noticed a strange worried and confused look from Abso, before he charged. She didn't know why, but decided he was just nervous about being able to finish the match. She knew he was strong enough to do it, though, and he carried it out with everything he had as he ran.

Brian suddenly seemed to change his stance, though, smiling as he narrowed his eyes. "Charmeleon, use Smokescreen!"

"Charrr!"

Serena wasn't flustered, though, knowing she could get rid of it, ordering Icy Wind as she'd done before while the smoke billowed out in front of Charmeleon. However, as the icy energy began to blow into it, Brian ordered another attack immediately.

"Swift!"

"Charmeleon!"

Suddenly the golden stars shone brightly in the smoke, looking like stars in the night sky. Serena's points dropped suddenly, and she realized she was closer to Brian now. But Icy wind was shooting forward, with Absol charging behind it, and she had to have faith in her attack working.

However, the stars from Swift struck the Icy Wind head on, and suddenly, Serena realized what Brian's plan was. The stars suddenly became covered in ice, and rapidly descended on Absol. They struck the ground in front of him, and he tried to veer away, only to slip on some ice. He had to stop his charge immediately to avoid being hit completely.

"Sol!" he grunted out, slowly stepping back. Unfortunately, that was all Brian needed.

"Dragon Claw!"

"Charrr!"

Serena winced, knowing her points had already dropped beneath Brian's. As the glowing green claw struck Absol and sent him staggering back, the buzzer sound wasn't a surprise. She saw Absol sag in disappointment, while Fantina declared Brian the winner and his teammates cheered from the crowd, where the Lumiose students politely applauded, but were clearly disappointed.

Absol went back to Serena, looking dejected, but Serena gave him a hug, conveying that it wasn't his fault. "You were great, Absol. I...I should've had a different strategy. You were trying to warn me, but...I guess I just didn't understand." _How am I ever going to be able to Mega Evolve with Absol if I can't understand something like that?_

She slowly went backstage with Absol, seeing her friends looking sympathetically towards her. Dawn was the first to speak. "You were great, Serena. No need to worry. You were really close to winning!"

Serena sighed, glancing down at her feet. "You tried to warn me, too. I wasn't careful." It was a bit like her first performance with Fennekin. She hadn't considered the walk in the fashion show, and had overdone it with Fennekin's costume. Here, she hadn't considered how valuable every last point was, and had sacrificed them willingly to lower Brian's, who was clever enough to turn it around at the last opportunity.

"You did great, Serena," Shauna said encouragingly. "I don't think I could've battled like that. There's a lot to think about."

"You just need a bit more practice," Dawn added.

"I didn't do well in my first IPL match," Tierno said, looking out onto the stage as Fantina announced the next match would be beginning in a moment. "You had way more rhythm than me."

Serena couldn't help but smile at their encouragement. It did make her feel better. "You guys are the best," she said, before looking to Tierno. "Make sure to get that one back for us."

"You bet!" he said, giving a thumbs up before heading out on stage to battle Coumarine's coordinator, Leeroy.

Serena and Absol watched their match closely, and while it made her aware of some of the mistakes she'd made during her own battle, it was definitely informative. Tierno was showing that he'd improved greatly since he first entered a contest battle, making great use of his dancing style and avoiding many of Leeroy's attacks by dancing in sync with Blastoise and Raichu. It was nearly impossible for Leeroy's Ursaring and Gardevoir to touch them.

It wasn't quite the commanding victory Dawn or Shauna had, but Tierno managed to chip away at Leeroy's points as he avoided many of his attacks and created a few impressive combinations using his dancing to put his Pokemon in positions to land direct hits. Eventually, the buzzer went as Tierno was declared the winner with a perfect Rapid Spin and Thunderbolt combination that sent Gardevoir spilling into Ursaring for a perfect finisher by Raichu.

What was clear to Serena from watching Tierno, was that he'd learned a patience she'd needed in her own battle, and he'd been able to keep his cool by trusting his style and staying in sync with his Pokemon. She knew she was able to do that with her performances, but she needed to bring that into battling. Absol had the instincts, and she just needed to draw them out. It wasn't going to be easy, but she was confident that with a bit more training, they could do it.

* * *

The break between the performances and battles had given Korrina the opportunity to head back to the Pokemon Centre to check on Vivillon. She was disappointed as she walked through the doors, thinking of her team's rough outing, but she knew that she and the Battle Team could give Shalour something to cheer about. As she entered, she also noticed a standings update had been posted, showing that the Lumiose vs Coumarine matches had concluded, with Lumiose having earned all but one point for each set of matches. _I bet Clemont did well!_

When she headed up to the front desk where Nurse Joy was, she asked if Vivillon was doing okay, hoping to give it a chance to fly around before she and her team headed to the battlefield. Nurse Joy quickly went to the back to get it, assuring Korrina that it had been doing quite well. It had definitely seemed to enjoy the outing, having apparently been socializing with the various Pokemon in the centre throughout the day.

Once it was ready, Korrina took it outside, and found an empty area to the side of the Pokemon Centre. Not many people were around with most finding their way to the battlefield to get good seats, but there were some trainers at the battlefield and she made sure to avoid them so Vivillon didn't accidentally get hurt.

When she stopped, she set Vivillon down on the ground, the Scale Pokemon looked up at her, looking excited to start. They were still careful not to have it fly around in places like the Pokemon Centre, with it being a bit more crowded. It seemed close to being able to fly anywhere, though, and as Korrina gave the signal, Vivillon took off and flew high in the air, flapping its wings with much improved strength.

Korrina became so captivated by Vivillon as it began flying around, that she barely even noticed as someone came up behind her. She stopped as she heard the footsteps, and turned around, eyes widening at who was there. "G-Gabby?"

The pink-haired Laverre student smirked at her surprised look, although Korrina got the sense that something seemed to be distracting her. She followed Gabby's gaze and saw that she was looking over to where the Laverre Battle Team was, heading to the battlefield with Valerie, the Laverre Gym Leader, and their other coach, Raphael. The Performer seemed uneasy.

"Doing some last minute training?" Gabby then asked as she looked back to Korrina. "New Pokemon?" she added, glancing up at Vivillon, who was still flying, not having noticed her arrival.

"Uh...no this Vivillon's not mine," Korrina murmured. She felt uneasy herself, not sure if it was the time to tell Gabby what Clemont suspected, but also thinking it was a good opportunity to talk to Gabby without Anton there. She decided to tell part of the truth, first. "I...rescued it. Or at least...I brought it to the Pokemon Centre after I found it by Shalour City."

Gabby had seemed somewhat distracted, but now her gaze suddenly focused on Korrina. "You mean...the hunters had it? You found this Vivillon by one of those bases you discovered?"

Korrina was a little surprised by the anger in Gabby's voice. She obviously expected anyone would be angered by the hunters' actions, but for Gabby she had a sense it was more personal. She supposed it was, given what seemed to have happened to her brother. She finally nodded. "I was out looking with my Lucario, and we found it. I've been helping it get its flying ability back. It was in pretty rough shape."

"That's awful..." Gabby glared at the ground. Korrina understood the anger, but something about that look made it seem as though things were still fresh for her. "My Swablu was found in a similar condition. It's an Altaria now, but...I had to work on its flying back then as well."

Korrina gave her a sympathetic look. She hated the reason why, but she was at least happy to see that Anton's sister wasn't quite as...stubborn as he was. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and Anton back then."

"It wasn't your fault," Gabby told her. "It wasn't your grandfather's, either. Anton's wrong for thinking that." She sighed, and looked up at the Vivillon. "You know...Anton's Vivillon had the same pattern as that. I think it's called the Elegant Pattern." She smiled, watching Vivillon a moment. It glanced down just then, and the two locked eyes.

Korrina apparently didn't even need to tell Gabby. It was clear the other girl knew it right away. And she wasn't the only one.

"VIII!"

Vivillon shot down, faster than Korrina would've liked, but she couldn't blame it. It reached Gabby in an instant and flew into her chest, crying out happily. The Laverre Performer was no different, laughing and crying in joy as she hugged the bug type. A moment later, she let it go, and it flew back a bit, before hovering and looking at her.

"It...it's Anton's!" Gabby said excitedly, looking at Korrina, and then Vivillon. "I used to play with it all the time. I know it is. I know it!"

Korrina smiled, exchanging a look with Vivillon, before looking back to Gabby. "I'd wondered." Gabby looked at her curiously at that, and she explained. "Clemont, Ash and Serena met your dad near Lumiose City. He told them the story about Anton's Vivillon and Fletchinder, and mentioned it having an Elegant pattern. He helped me out with Vivillon during the break and he thought it might be worth looking into."

"I can't believe it!" Gabby said, looking like she was shaking. She appeared to be excited, relieved and almost scared, as though wondering if she was dreaming. "I...I have to tell Anton." She looked at Vivillon. "Do...do you want to see Anton again?"

Korrina realized just how loyal and loving Pokemon could be in that moment, as Vivillon nodded without hesitation. "Villon!"

"We'll come see you after the battles then," Gabby promised. "Nurse Joy will take care of it, right?"

Korrina nodded. "She will."

"Can you wait until then?" Gabby then asked Vivillon, looking to it hopefully.

"Vi!" Vivillon cried out in excitement, nodding. Korrina was glad it wasn't going to try to push it and go to the battlefield.

"I'll let him know he's got an extra fan cheering for him!" Gabby promised, before giving it one last hug, and running off.

Korrina watched her go, and then looked to Vivillon herself, seeing how excited it was. Part of her was worried, though. It was hard to know how Anton would react. Of course, she supposed she might find that out soon.

They had a battle to fight.

* * *

Anton yawned, feeling bored as he waited for his battle to come. His teammates weren't faring too well. Dean had won the first match, but had been sloppy throughout, and likely had only pulled out the win against his opponent's Magneton thanks to his Diggersby's effective ground attacks. Sasha appeared to be doing an even worse job, however, looking like she might even lose.

Oddly enough, it didn't bother him as much as it usually would've. They were secure in having earned their position in the playoffs. That wasn't an excuse to get sloppy, but even he had to admit to being bored by their competition at times. He would get the rest of the team to smarten up for their final battles against Lumiose University, though, and then they would be dominant once more.

As Sasha battled, he glanced around to see what his sister was doing, having noticed that Gabby seemed oddly distracted once she'd arrived. She appeared to be glancing over to the Shalour team's seating area and exchanging glances with Korrina for some reason, which Anton expected to find out after the battle. Right now, however, she was glaring at the back of Raphael's head.

Again, he didn't know what that was about, but as he was about to turn his head away, he noticed Valerie whispering something into Gabby's ear, and his sister turning her gaze away quickly after that. _What's with her all of a sudden?_ Anton wondered, watching the battle once more, seeing Sasha's Weavile stumble as it was hit once again by the opposing Grumpig.

As the battle appeared to be winding down, and the Shalour trainer's Grumpig hammered Weavile with a few more attacks, Anton heard a phone ring to his right, seeing Raphael picking it up. This often happened during training and battle sessions, and it got on his nerves. _If he's committed to battling, he should leave his business work out of it._ Raphael might've known his stuff when it came to certain training practices, but he seemed too busy with his other work, especially lately, to provide much. Anton couldn't help but roll his eyes as Raphael snapped at whoever was on the other end and walked away to speak in private.

He started to turn his attention back to the battlefield, but then suddenly heard Valerie's voice behind him. "No Gabby, not now!" she hissed. "It isn't the time. He may wonder what you're following for."

The others on the team didn't seem aware, too focused on Sasha losing her battle, but Anton turned back, tilting his sunglasses up and staring at his sister suspiciously. Her eyes widened as she looked back at him, Valerie appearing to do the same. That bugged him, and he decided he'd find out what this was about.

"What's going on with you, Gabby? You're acting very strange." He noticed her exchange yet another glance with Valerie, and then look over to Korrina again for some reason. "Tell me," he added with a firm voice.

"I have to," Gabby murmured, looking to Valerie. "He deserves to know." Valerie nodded, giving Anton a sad look, and then Gabby stood, gesturing for Anton to follow her.

The crowd noises provided some cover for them, but they still moved behind the seating area where there was a little more privacy. It seemed Raphael had decided to leave the area completely for his own privacy, so nobody was near them. At least, not until Korrina suddenly appeared, apparently having noticed them slipping away.

"What? You're involved with whatever this is, too?" Anton asked the Shalour Gym Leader, staring accusingly at her. "What have you gotten my sister into?"

"Nothing," Korrina promised. "It's...well it's not all bad. You sure you want to tell him, Gabby? Now?"

Gabby looked nervous. "I actually have more to say than...that," she said after a pause, Korrina looking curiously back at her. "It..it's connected."

Anton sighed, almost tempted to head back to his seat. "This is getting ridiculous. I have no interest in your gossip," he muttered.

He wasn't looking when he felt his sister's hand smack across his face.

"Hey!" he snapped at her, stepping back and putting his hand to his cheek, feeling it sting. "Relax, Gabby. What was that for?"

"Listen," she growled. "I'm about to tell you something extremely important, and..." She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. "I...don't...need...your...attitude." She added an additional poke with each word, and each was harder than the last.

Anton didn't often respond to this kind of outburst from his sister, but he decided she seemed urgent enough that he would listen. He could see that Korrina was looking embarrassed, and part of him did wish she hadn't seen that, but he ignored the thought as he nodded to Gabby. "Fine. Tell me."

Gabby looked relieved that he wasn't going to argue. She took a deep breath then, and finally began. "Did you see Raphael just now? Getting that call and walking away?"

Anton nodded. "Yeah. That's not unusual. Especially lately. He does corporate work outside school. I don't like that it interrupts training, but what do you expect?"

Gabby shook her head, and continued. "Valerie's been keeping tabs on him lately. I saw her heading into the forest earlier, after the performances."

"So that's where you disappeared to," Anton muttered, still not sure what she was going on about. Suddenly Valerie wandering around had something to do with Raphael's business dealings? He was starting to think his sister had gotten too soft after talking to that Serena girl too much in Lumiose City.

"Yeah, that's where I disappeared to!" Gabby snapped at him, looking back to a confused looking Korrina and rolling her eyes. "I wanted to know what the Gym Leader of Laverre, and our coach and teacher was sneaking off for. Apparently she had good reason."

Anton frowned, starting to connect the dots. "She was following Raphael?" He had noticed the coach slipping out during the performances. "What does she think he's up to?"

At that, Korrina gasped, her hands going to her mouth. "You don't mean...?" She stared at Gabby. "He's...?"

Gabby nodded, before looking back to Anton. "We caught him on his call, Anton. You know the stories we've heard lately. Funny how he's been stepping away from training sessions and battles more recently, huh?"

Anton rarely let things get to him. He'd learned a long time ago to restrain himself and not let emotions get in his way. He let frustration fuel his training. This, however, was hard to ignore and put to the side. If what Gabby was saying was what he thought she was saying...

"Do...do you think he's been involved this whole time?" He asked quietly, noticing his voice shaking just a bit. "Since...then?" He avoided looking at his sister now, feeling his fists clench and begin to shake.

"I don't know," Gabby answered, now sounding much less harsh. "What I do know, is it is connected. And...there's a reason why I know." She looked to Korrina, and Anton looked up curiously, wondering what it was the other girl knew. "Korrina found a Pokemon near Shalour City not long after they discovered a hunter base there. She's been nursing it back to health."

Korrina continued from there. "I didn't think there was any connection to anyone I knew," she started, looking uneasy as Anton fixed his gaze on her. "I just knew it was a hurt Pokemon from those hunters and I wanted it to get better. Then Clemont called me today, mentioning that he, Ash and Serena met a bug researcher near Lumiose City named Henry."

"Our...dad?" Anton asked. He took off his sunglasses, and stared at Korrina. "What...does that have to do with this?"

"Well...he told Clemont about your Pokemon," Korrina answered awkwardly. "And he described your Vivillon as having an Elegant pattern. Clemont had helped me in working with the Pokemon I'd found and...well...it's a Vivillon with an Elegant pattern."

Anton felt as though his entire body was going numb. "Th-that...that doesn't...you can't know...there's no..." He hated how jumbled his words were, but he couldn't keep his head straight. He didn't know what to think. He shook his head, feeling it get cloudier by the second with all his confused thoughts. This was a lot to take in.

Gabby stepped close to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Anton," she said quietly, getting his attention. He stared at her, not sure what to say, not wanting to even hope that what Korrina had suggested was true. "Anton...I've seen it. It's Vivillon. It's your Vivillon. Korrina has it at the Pokemon Centre because she's been helping it improve its flying."

Suddenly, he was on his knees, staring at the ground in shock. Everything...everything since that day...it all been because of his...selfishness. He'd cut himself off from so much. He couldn't handle thinking of what he'd done. It was like it was all coming to him now, though. All the guilt. He'd ruined Vivillon's life. And Fletchinder...Fletchinder hadn't been mentioned. Maybe Vivillon was lucky in comparison.

He heard a voice from where they'd exited from their seating area, and he glanced over to see Valerie standing there, watching them in concern. She waited a moment, and then Gabby asked if they were needed. "The...the battle is over," Valerie informed them. "It's time...for Anton and Korrina to battle."

"I think he needs a moment," Gabby said, looking uneasily to Korrina. "You can wait a few minutes, right?"

Korrina nodded. "Of course. I'll let them know. I'll just tell them-"

"Don't bother," Anton suddenly said, starting to get to his feet. He put his sunglasses back on, feeling his body tensing up as he tried to shut his mind to everything he was thinking. "Just...forget it. Forget the battle." He shook his head, feeling his eyes stinging. "I forfeit. Just leave. Go back to Shalour and take your Vivillon."

"It's your-"

"It's not mine," he snapped, turning away. "It's not."

And suddenly he was walking away, ignoring their calls after him. _It's not mine._ His walking sped up, the voices growing more distant. _It's not...mine._ Then he was running, the voices nothing but his imagination. He wanted to train. He wanted to be alone with _his_ Pokemon. He didn't want...whatever they were trying to do.

 _It's not mine._

 **Author's Note:**

So a big chapter for Anton...and Serena too. I know Anton's not the greatest character ever designed, but hopefully this was a good chapter when it comes to him. Seeing some of the damage caused to him by the hunters...but also by himself. I thought this kind of thing would make for an interesting character way back when all this started. Obviously more is to come, but let me know what you think. See you next time...when we may or may not see Serena go to Kiloude City for a little something.


	13. The Battle Maison

**Author's Note:**

The Kiloude City quest begins now! I've been looking forward to this, so I hope you guys enjoy.

 **Chapter 13: The Battle Maison**

Ash had noticed a bit of a change in Serena since her contest battle with Absol. While she had been disappointed, as anyone likely would've been, she had been further inspired to train with Absol and her other Pokemon. He'd been inspired himself by it, working extra hard in training sessions and helping her work on their Mega Evolution assignment.

He had been somewhat worried that Serena might feel she wasn't ready for going after the Mega Stone after her loss, but with some encouragement from her friends, led by Ash and Dawn, she'd wanted to plan to head out to Kiloude City as soon as possible. So, in the next couple weeks following their IPL match, Ash and Serena had made plans to head out there, preparing their Pokemon for whatever might get in their way. And, when the next weekend arrived, they headed out to the train station, their friends coming to wish them luck.

"I wish we could come with you guys," Clemont said, as they were waiting at the station. "But we should probably work on our own assignment. My dad's gonna help us out."

Shauna nodded, looking as conflicted as Clemont did. "This is huge for you, Serena. But remember, we're there for you in spirit, even if we're staying behind!"

"Same with us," Tierno added, Trevor voicing his agreement. "Use that rhythm and find the beat for you and Absol!"

"I know you're gonna find it, Serena," Dawn told her seriously. "There's no need to worry."

"Thanks you guys," Serena told them all. "You're all so supportive. I'll do my best."

"Try not to get too distracted with Ash," Shauna then teased, as the train was pulling in. "Remember, you also need this for your project."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked, staring in confusion.

Serena seemed to have gone red. "W-We're going to be fine," she said quickly.

Shauna and Dawn giggled at that for some reason, but there was no chance to get further clarification. The train came to a stop then, and passengers began to board. Ash and Serena needed to move quickly to get on and get to their seats. They said their goodbyes, promising to return successful, before getting onto the train.

When they boarded, they quickly found their seats, fortunate to get a place by the window where they could see their friends. Then, as the train pulled away, they waved goodbye, calling out the window that they would be returning with a Mega Stone. Ash smiled, knowing that this was the moment their quest had truly begun.

It wasn't too long of a train ride, but as they watched Lumiose City grow smaller in the distance, Ash looked across to Serena, seeing her staring out the window with an intense look in her eyes. "Are you nervous?" he asked her, hoping she knew that he'd support her the whole way.

Serena hesitated, continuing to stare out the window a moment, before looking back to Ash. "I am...a bit. We don't even know if the Mega Stone is really there. Someone might've found it for all we know, or Astrid might've just heard a false rumour." She then sighed, looking back out the window. "Even if it is there, we don't know where to go. And, if we find it, who knows what we need to do to get it?"

Ash understood why Serena felt this way, knowing it was definitely a hard road ahead, no matter what. But if he was going to put his faith in anyone to accomplish such a difficult task, it was her. "Serena, you've already come so far with Absol. You two can do anything together, I know it!"

Serena smiled at that, her cheeks reddening a bit. Ash realized it was a bit warm on the train, though. "Thanks, Ash. I'm glad you're here to help."

"Well it is for our project," Ash pointed out, before laughing that off. "I'd want to help anyway, though. Can't have any Poliwags scaring you in the woods, right?"

Serena narrowed her eyes at that. "That happened because you were chasing it!" she retorted jokingly.

"I made up for it, didn't I?" Ash asked hopefully.

"More than made up for it," Serena said, smiling. "Even since we reunited at Lumiose University. You're the best, Ash."

Ash shifted a little uncomfortably at that, rubbing under his nose in embarrassment, before looking down at Pikachu, who was looking at him curiously for some reason. He was happy getting this time with Serena, outside of classes and training. He loved spending time with all of his friends, but this was fun. It felt...right.

He glanced back at Serena, noticing she was even redder than before. He wasn't sure if she was avoiding looking at him, or if something had caught her attention outside, but she seemed very focused on staring out the window. He didn't get it, but something seemed kind of awkward at the moment. It was almost like back at the airport after the first semester break, when he'd left for Pallet Town...

"Pika?" Pikachu suddenly asked, hopping up on the mini table between the two trainers and looking back and forth between the two. "Pika pikapi?"

Ash and Serena stared at him, before looking up at each other. "What's he saying?" Serena asked, voice sounding a little higher than usual.

"Um..." Ash wasn't totally sure. Pikachu seemed to be suspicious of something for some reason.

"Pikapi," Pikachu muttered, narrowing his eyes at Ash, before twitching his ears in Serena's direction.

Ash felt his cheeks heat up. He tried to ignore whatever it was Pikachu was trying to say, and looked at Serena. "So...what's the plan when we get to Kiloude City?"

Pikachu sighed at that, but decided not to push any further, and settled down for a nap, while Serena answered. "I'm not sure where we should look first, but it might be a good idea to check out the Battle Maison or the Safari. Those seem to be the busiest places outside of the school there."

"They have a school? Like Lumiose University?" Ash asked curiously.

"Yeah," Serena nodded, pulling out her tablet and showing Ash a little page about the city. "Not as big as ours it seems, but it sounds like they're on their way to the IPL playoffs. They probably do a lot of training at the Battle Maison." She gave Ash a knowing look as she said that.

He leaned forward in interest. "Is that like the Battle Chateau?"

"I think so, although it seems like it might even be higher. Looks like a lot of the trainers that train at this one have competed in Pokemon leagues before." She frowned at that, looking worried for a moment. "If any of them are looking for the Absolite..."

"Then you'll beat them to it!" Ash said confidently. "We both will."

Serena nodded, smiling in thanks. "Yeah...yeah, we will."

The rest of the ride went quickly after that, and before Ash knew it, they were looking out the window to the new city, admiring the little houses and farms on the outskirts. It seemed to have a small town feel to it, but Ash could see the larger buildings near the centre that likely held the school classes. There was also a large mansion that couldn't have been anything other than the Battle Maison. To the north, there was a large forest in front of a meadow, with high cliffs in the background behind it, which likely held the Safari.

"It's beautiful!" Serena said as she looked around, once they exited the train and had a better look. "It's a bit like Vaniville Town, but without the Rhyhorn running me over," she added with a laugh.

When they exited the station, they took another look around, trying to get their bearings now that they were actually in the city and needed to decide where to go first. Ash was trying not to look at the Battle Maison, as it was almost too tempting for him. He wanted to decide on where to go based on their best chance to find what they were looking for.

Serena seemed to think it was the best place, however, pointing to the large mansion up ahead. "I think if there's anyone who could point us in the right direction, they'll be at the Battle Maison. At least, that would be the best place to check first."

"Sounds good," Ash said, looking to Pikachu, who seemed as excited as him about seeing what kind of battles went on there. He decided a couple of his other Pokemon would benefit from seeing it as well, and he called out Riolu and Rockruff before they set off. "I want you guys to pay close attention when we go to the Battle Maison, okay?" he said, looking at them both, the two of them nodding seriously. "I bet we can all learn a lot from seeing some of the tough battles that go on here." He glanced at Serena, seeing her giving him an amused look. "Uh...but we're also looking for any information on Absolite or Mega Stones, so if you hear anything about that, get our attention."

"Absol and Popplio, you should come out, too," Serena then said, calling out the two Pokemon as they set off. Absol in particular looked excited and determined as they walked, as though he could sense that the Absolite was, in fact, in the city, or at least close to it.

As they made their way into the busier part of the city, Ash could see that they weren't the only ones with a few Pokemon out with them. Many people around here seemed to heading to either the Safari or the Battle Maison, each seeming to require at least a couple of Pokemon to accompany their trainers. And, if the people weren't going to either of those places, they were rushing to the Pokemon Centre, holding a Pokemon in their arms after an obviously tough battle. There also seemed to be a few students from the school around, some training out in the open. It definitely seemed like his kind of place.

"We'll have to come back to this place at some point," Ash said, looking around with wide eyes. "I bet we could have some great battles, huh Pikachu?"

Serena giggled at that, looking around as well. "It definitely suits you," she said. "Hopefully we can find the Absolite soon and we can spend some more time here." She blushed at that, as though she thought she'd said something strange, but Ash didn't think anything of it.

When they reached the Battle Maison, they stopped out front, looking up at it with wide eyes. Absol seemed most focused, stepping a few feet ahead and onto the steps leading up to the doors. Ash was sure he sensed something, but he had no idea if it had to do with Absolite being close or not. It probably did, but with so many Pokemon around, Absol probably also knew what a big deal this was.

They entered slowly, gaping at the massive lobby they'd entered into, with people all over the place with their Pokemon. There were transfer machines set up in some places so people could recall various Pokemon from home, and video booths to watch over battles. Ash even noticed a variety of booths to buy different items for training and battling. It made his heart race with excitement just being here.

'You two here to try out the Battle Maison, huh?" a voice suddenly spoke up next to them, and they turned, seeing a man in a suit approaching them. "May I see your PokeDex to ensure you have acquired at least eight badges in at least one region?"

Ash blinked in surprise at that, looking to Serena, who instantly looked worried. "I...I've earned enough badges, but..."

"I've only ever competed in performances," Serena admitted, pulling out her PokeDex nonetheless.

The man nodded, as though this was fairly normal. "Very well," he said, taking her PokeDex and scanning it with something. "You will simply need to participate in a testing battle to ensure you are qualified to accept challenges here." He took Ash's PokeDex next, nodding as he was confirmed to be eligible. "Shall I take you to the testing field?"

Ash looked to Serena, feeling bad for her, but was surprised to see a look of fierce determination on her face. "Yes! I'll do whatever it takes."

"Excellent," the man said simply, gesturing for the two of them to follow him as he walked towards a hallway.

"You sure about this Serena?" Ash asked, looking around at some of the trainers, many staring at them. "Maybe I should just have a look around here and you could check out the Safari?"

Serena shook her head. "No, I need to do this, Ash. Besides, if I can't enter here, I don't deserve to find that Absolite."

Ash couldn't help but admire that, although he was still a little nervous. If someone needed to be as good as a qualified Pokemon League trainer to enter here, the testing battle would likely be very difficult if it was meant to substitute for the eight badges. It seemed being a Masterclass Performer had given Serena the chance, though, so he did feel better knowing that.

When they reached the room the man led them to, Ash looked around, realizing they were at a huge battlefield. It was as big as any Gym he'd ever been to, with bright lights shining down all across the field. It almost made him want to have the testing battle as well. He could tell Rockruff was interested as well, the Puppy Pokemon barking excitedly as he looked around. Riolu, however, looked nervous, knowing this was a huge battle for Serena.

"Please take your position on the battlefield, Ms. Serena," the man said to her, bowing. "Your opponent will arrive shortly. With that, the man departed.

"I wonder who you have to battle," Ash said curiously, looking around. Nobody was around, other than a referee who was making their way onto the battlefield, and someone in the stands who must've been there to make note of who qualified.

"I guess someone who works here," Serena suggested, looking a little more nervous now, but still determined as she looked to Absol and Popplio. "You make sure to cheer me on, okay Popplio," Serena told the water type, who nodded and began juggling bubbles to show her support. Serena giggled at that, before locking eyes with Absol. "Will you battle, Absol?" she asked him.

"Sol!" the Disaster Pokemon said, nodding, before the two of them went to their place. Ash remained where he was with the other Pokemon. _Come on, Serena,_ he thought to himself, watching as a door opened behind the opposite end of the field to Serena. _You can do this._

Ash was surprised at the person emerging onto the battlefield, realizing it was someone about their age. In fact, he looked somewhat like Ash, with dark hair, a red hat and a blue coat. His hair was a little straighter, though, and his coat was darker. He definitely didn't look like he was dressed like the man from earlier, though, or the man in the stands, so Ash wondered if perhaps he was someone else who needed to take the test to earn a place here.

He revealed that wasn't the case a moment later, however, speaking up as the referee stepped forward. "Hi there," he called out to Serena, as he pulled out a pokeball. "My name's Calem, and I'm the captain of the Kiloude University IPL Battle Team. The Battle Maison has a partnership with our school where our Battle Team members test out the trainers who haven't earned the badges required to enter here, so long as they've at least proved themselves in another high level competition. You entered Masterclass for performers, right?"

Serena nodded. "I performed against Aria in the finals."

Calem smiled at that, glancing at Ash a moment, appearing curious, before turning his gaze back to Serena. "Well, this isn't performing, so it won't be easy, but you've done enough to prove you can work well with your Pokemon. This is a battling place, though, so you'll need to show you can keep up here. Every challenge made in the Battle Maison must be accepted. We can't let anyone in who can't hold their own. It'd be a risk to their Pokemon. You think you're up for it?"

Serena looked over to Ash, appearing uneasy now that it was laid out in front of her, but he nodded to her, wanting her to know that he believed in her. She then looked across to Calem again, nodding. "I'm ready."

"Sol!" Absol called out from in front of her, signalling he was as well.

"Great!" Calem said, throwing his pokeball out. "Then we're ready, too!"

His pokeball opened up in front of him, flashing brightly, before a male Meowstic emerged. It hovered in the air a moment, its psychic energy creating a blue aura around it, before it lowered itself to the ground, staring ahead at Absol. Ash could see just from its eyes that this was a Pokemon raised to battle. This would be very hard for Serena.

"This doesn't seem fair, Pikachu," Ash muttered quietly, suddenly not so sure about this. "If he's the captain of a Battle Team..."

"Pikapi pika pika," Pikachu answered, narrowing his eyes and flicking his tail towards Serena. Ash followed his gaze, looking to Serena and seeing her looking more fired up than ever. He smiled at that, feeling better instantly.

"You're right. She'll win."

At that, the referee looked to both trainers, ensuring they were both prepared, before raising his arm and swinging it down. "Let the battle begin!"

"Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Serena shouted, looking like she was desperate to be the first to attack, wanting to prove herself.

"Meowstic, Fake Out!" Calem ordered instantly, smirking as though he'd expected Serena's order.

"Mrrow!" Meowstic cried out, darting forward with impressive speed as Absol prepared his Psycho Cut attack, before kicking out at him, striking him straight in the chest.

"Sol!" Absol grunted, stumbling back and wincing.

Ash gritted his teeth, knowing there was very little Serena could've done about a move like Fake Out. Unfortunately, it was even worse, with Calem already ordering the follow up. As Absol was grimacing from the first attack, Meowstic sent a Shadow Ball into his side, sending him falling over, appearing to knock the wind out of him as he struggled to stand.

"Absol!" Serena cried out worriedly. She was looking anxious, clearly starting to worry if she could keep up. She steeled herself for another order, though. "Try and use Double Edge!"

"Sol!" Absol grunted as he stood, tensing his legs and breaking out into a run towards Meowstic.

"Hit it with Disarming Voice!" Calem countered quickly, calm as he observed the field in front of him. Ash could tell he was good. He wasn't taking any chances and was keeping his cool despite Absol's ferocious look.

"Meowww!" Meowstic sang out, raising its little arms up and sending the pink sound waves out towards Absol. Just as the dark type started running forward, he stopped immediately, crying out as the fairy type attack hit him. Ash winced, knowing it was a super effective hit.

"Now, use another Shadow Ball!"

"Mrow!"

"Sol!" As Absol tried to regain his composure from the Disarming Voice attack, he was struck again, falling over as the Shadow Ball exploded against him. It wasn't looking good as he panted heavily, trying to stand, but looking extremely tired.

"Absol..." Serena looked panicked, staring at her Pokemon in fear. Ash could see it in her eyes that she was thinking she was outmatched now. Calem was controlling every aspect of the match, and she had almost no experience with this kind of fighting.

He wasn't going to let her think she had no chance, though. "Serena, you can do this. Believe in Absol, and believe in yourself. It's not over, so don't give up!"

"Popplio!"

"Ruru!"

"Ruff!"

"Pika!"

Serena looked over, eyes wide with worry. However, as she looked to the cheering Pokemon, and then to Ash, he noticed her features calming somewhat. She nodded, and then looked to Absol, who was managing to rise to his feet. "We won't give up, right Absol? Not till the very end!"

"Sol!" he growled out in response, straightening up and staring down Meowstic.

Calem looked surprised at the determination, glancing over to Ash, and then ahead to Absol and Serena. "You sure want to win this, don't you? What is it you're hoping to do here that you need to win so badly?" He narrowed his eyes, looking at Absol. Something seemed to come to him and he smiled. "I guess I can find out later. After I win! Meowstic, use Psychic to get yourself in the air, and then fire off a Shadow Ball!"

"Absol, use Detect and then hit it with Icy Wind!" Serena countered quickly, looking more like a battler than ever before, eyes locked on the scene in front of her.

"Mrow!" Meowstic cried out, a blue aura surrounding it as it seemed to fly up, its psychic energy giving it the aerial advantage. A moment later, it cried out once more as it sent a Shadow Ball flying down towards Absol.

The Disaster Pokemon was ready, though, eyes flashing as he leaped over it, before suddenly, the fur along his body began to rise. A moment later, a wind blew forth from all around him, snow and ice mixed in with it as it flew up and struck Meowstic.

"Mrow!" the psychic type cried out, its focus breaking and causing it to fall without Psychic holding it up.

"Now, use Psycho Cut!" Serena shouted, following up the successful attack as Calem gritted his teeth, seeing that his Meowstic was vulnerable.

"Absol!" Absol shouted, landing softly, his horn glowing pink before he swung his head, sending the crescent-shaped attack flying forward. "Sol!" The Psycho Cut shot forward, striking Meowstic hard as it hit the ground, sending the Constraint Pokemon sliding along the ground, wincing.

"Keep it up!" Serena yelled, confidence evident in her voice. "Double Edge!"

"Yeah! Go Serena!" Ash cheered, loving how the battle was heating up now, and admiring her turnaround. The Pokemon joined in, Popplio clapping away excitedly while Riolu jumped up and down in joy.

"Don't get too excited!" Calem warned, smiling as he thrust his palm forward. "Psychic to dodge, and then use Disarming Voice!"

Ash clenched his fists, watching as Absol ran forward, head bowed low to strike. However, just as he was about to strike, Meowstic was enveloped in the blue aura again, floating up just in time to avoid the attack. Then, it turned around, opening its mouth.

"Hang in there Absol!" Serena cried out, just as Meowstic send out the pink sound waves.

"Sol!" Absol grunted in response, turning and gritting his teeth as he was hit. His legs shook as though he was fighting the urge to drop from exhaustion.

"Now, use Double Edge!" Serena shouted, locking eyes with Absol as she made the order.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise at the order, wondering how Absol could possibly attack as Meowstic kept up the assault with Disarming Voice. However, as he strained to fight back, his body began to glow in a white aura. Then, he began to run, slow at first, but the more he fought, the more he picked up speed.

"Go!" Serena called out encouragingly!"

"Sol!"

Then, suddenly, the light around Absol expanded, and it was almost like white flames were surrounding him. Both Calem and Meowstic looked stunned, eyes widening as the Disaster Pokemon roared in determination and shot forward. Before either could react, Absol slammed into Meowstic with all his might, breaking through the Psychic focus and sending it flying up into the air.

"Mrowww!" Meowstic cried out, flying up high before beginning to descend towards the ground, just as Absol began to drop.

"Quick!" Calem ordered, pointing ahead. "Use Shadow Ball as you drop!"

"Mrow!" Meowstic confirmed, forming the shadowy sphere in its arms and narrowing its eyes as it fell.

Serena was ready, though, and Ash cheered with the Pokemon as she made her order. "Dodge with Detect and use Psycho Cut!"

"Sol!" Absol's eyes flashed brightly as it flipped in midair, easily sliding past Meowstic as it tried to barrel into him holding the Shadow Ball.

"Meow?" it cried out in shock, rapidly approaching the ground as it held the ghost type attack.

"Meowstic!" Calem called out in shock, wincing as it crashed into the ground, its own Shadow Ball exploding in its arms.

Then, as smoke and dust rose up around it, the Constraint Pokemon attempted to rise, looking up at its opponent, seeing it ready to unleash its final attack. It seemed to smile then, accepting what was to come.

"Sol!"

The Psycho Cut whipped down, the pink, crescent-shaped attack slamming hard into the psychic type and exploding against it. Meowstic stumbled back as the attack hit it, and Ash could see it trying to stay upright. It seemed to step backwards and forwards a few times, head lolling back and forth as it did so, before it finally came to a stop, still standing, and staring at the ground, while Absol landed in front of it.

Ash gritted his teeth, wondering how it was possible that Meowstic could still be standing. He looked to Calem, who was watching with a similar expression, before looking to Serena in surprise. Ash followed his gaze, and gaped as he looked at Serena as well. She was...smiling...triumphantly. And so was Absol.

Ash then slowly turned his head, eyes widening as he looked at Meowstic. Yes, it was still standing. It even seemed to have a determined expression on its face, as though still prepared to fight. However, its eyes were shut. And, as the referee raised his arm, it finally fell forward.

"Meowstic is unable to battle! Absol is the winner!"

"Hooray!" Serena cheered. "Absol you did it!" She was running forward and embracing Absol in an instant, and Ash couldn't blame her. That was a huge win for her. It was the exact kind of battle that proved the two of them deserved what they were here for.

And suddenly, Ash found himself running forward as well, the other Pokemon with him. Popplio reached Serena and Absol first, joining them in a group hug. Riolu joined in a moment later as well. After a moment, Serena finally stepped back from her Pokemon, smiling at them.

"You did it, Serena! Great job!" Ash told her, while Pikachu and Rockruff congratulated Absol. "I knew you could-"

The wind was knocked out of him as Serena wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Ash! I couldn't have won without you."

He smiled at that, hugging her back briefly, before they both stepped back. "You and Absol are awesome," he told her. "You guys showed you deserve that Mega Stone more than anyone."

"So that _is_ why you're here?"

Ash turned around as Serena glanced up in surprise, seeing Calem standing there, smiling as he held his defeated Meowstic. "Heard the rumour, huh?"

"Yeah," Serena answered, sounding a little uneasy. "A girl named Astrid told me about it."

Calem nodded. "I've met her." He then looked towards the door he'd entered from. "Well, I don't know for sure if it's here or not. My best guess is it's in the Safari somewhere. A few people have searched, but they always give up." He thought for a moment, before chuckling. "I feel like that won't be a problem for you two, huh?"

Ash laughed at that, nodding. "We never give up. That's just how we are."

"Do you know where in the Safari we can look?" Serena asked after a moment.

Calem shrugged at that. "Not really." He then grinned, before gesturing back behind him, towards the door. "You came to the right place to find out, though. There's a trainer here that claims he might know. He'll only tell you if you can prove yourself to him, though." He laughed nervously. "I tried...but he wouldn't tell me."

"So we need to battle him?" Ash asked, looking to Serena, who looked tired after just this fight.

Calem shrugged again. "I'm not sure. He's battled trainers and lost, but...they never get the information either." He laughed again. "Maybe he doesn't actually know, but I guess it's worth a try. His name's Abe." He looked a little more serious as he said his next words. "You might just be able to show him what he wants, though. The way your Absol battled for you...learning Giga Impact like that..."

"Giga Impact?" Serena asked, looking curiously to Ash, who frowned.

"Yeah, that wasn't Double Edge at the end there. It was Giga Impact. I thought I was going to be able to take advantage of its need to recover after that, but it must've done so much damage to Meowstic that he moved just a bit too slow to get his attack off before you could use Detect."

"I thought Double Edge looked a lot more powerful!" Ash said, chuckling. "Good job, Absol!"

"Sol," Absol said, looking pleased with himself.

"That's a special Pokemon," Calem told them, nodding as he looked at the Disaster Pokemon. "He'll be something else when he's Mega Evolved."

* * *

James sighed as he stared at the forest behind them, hearing Jessie do the same next to him. The constant searching was exhausting. The constant wondering. The constant fear. The constant hope that they would see Meowth, Wobbuffet and the others around every corner.

"Those stupid bug fanatics are useless," Jessie muttered as they settled down on a rock nearby. "They haven't found anything."

James nodded, unable to disagree. He and Jessie had worked tirelessly after losing Meowth and the others, and they'd even been willing to get help from anyone else searching for these hunters, including the friends of the man that had been with the twerps that day, known as "The Hive". They'd found as much as all the twerpy trainers around, though, and had been unable to help in getting them anywhere close to finding their Pokemon.

"I thought they would've at least found something after we searched near Shalour City," James said, staring blankly ahead, where the Wetlands lay before them. He was almost tempted to head back to Lumiose City and ask the twerp if they could use his Goodra. That would've revealed they were hiding out nearby there, though, and they didn't want to give away one of their hideouts.

"Nobody's going to find these hunters but us," Jessie growled, kicking a stone. "Even without our Pokemon we're more capable than any of them."

James didn't say anything in response to that, thinking that the reason they'd gotten into this mess was because they hadn't been capable _with_ all the Pokemon they'd had. He swallowed nervously at that thought, thinking of how they'd had to convince Giovanni not to order the Pokemon returned after having no progress made on getting either a Z-Crystal from Alola or a Mega Stone or Key Stone in Kalos. They'd left out the part that they didn't even have the Pokemon, coming up with an excuse for Meowth's absence at the time of the call.

"Where do we even look next?" James asked after a moment. "There's been no sign of them anywhere since we were attacked."

Jessie definitely wasn't herself, only sighing in resignation at that. "I...don't know," she said. "We need to try something, though. We need to find Meowth and Wobbuffet and all the others. We got so little time with our old Pokemon after we got them back..."

James nodded, thinking that was one of the cruelest things about how this had happened. It was never easy when they'd needed to give Giovanni their Pokemon, but at least they'd known where they would be and what they would do. This was terrifying. Their Pokemon could be anywhere now. They could be getting hurt.

"Wooper? Wooper wooper?"

James looked up in surprise at the sound, seeing the amphibious Pokemon staring at him from up ahead. It seemed almost suspicious, and James realized that if any Wetlands Pokemon were nearby, they might remember him and Jessie from back when they'd tried to steal their water supply. "Um...Jess?"

"What?!" she snapped, glaring ahead at the Wooper. "It's just some Wooper."

"I think it's from the Wetlands," James said nervously.

"Who cares..." Jessie said lazily, staring up at the sky. "Not like the hunters are hanging out there."

"Yeah...but I don't think they're fond of us..." James could see the Wooper narrowing its eyes now. It seemed quite suspicious. "Considering...you know...the water thing."

Jessie finally seemed to get that, biting her lip as she looked at the Wooper again. "Oh...right." She raised her hands defensively as it hopped closer to them. "We're not trying to steal anything," she said nervously. "We're just..."

James started to rise to his feet, the Wooper instantly hitting him with a Water Gun and knocking him back down. "We come in peace!" he whined. "We're just trying to find our Pokemon."

"Wooper! Wooper wooper!" Wooper cried out, hopping forward further and glaring at them. Clearly it remembered them. "Wooper!"

James wished Meowth was there to translate, but he had a rough idea of what Wooper was likely saying. "It's true. There are hunters around Kalos, and they stole our Pokemon. They're stealing other Pokemon too and we want to save them." He hoped he was convincing enough, even though the last part wasn't necessarily true. Or...perhaps it was.

"Wooper?" Wooper stopped approaching them, now tilting its head. "Woo wooper?"

Jessie spoke up this time, nodding as though confirming what James said. "He's right. We just want to save the Pokemon from the hunters. We've been looking for them but can't find them." She paused, looking to James. "You don't think...?"

James nodded, thinking he understood what Jessie was proposing. If they'd already been spotted, there was no harm. "Would you help us? The tw- I mean the boy that trained your Goodra friend. He wants to find them, too!"

"Wooper?" Wooper's eyes widened, and then it looked at the two of them curiously, before turning around, hitting its tail on the ground as it looked back at them. "Wooper!" it added, before beginning to hop away.

James and Jessie locked eyes for a moment, before the latter nodded. "It's the only shot we have now."

"Then let's go," James said.

And so, they followed Wooper into the Wetlands.

 **Author's Note:**

So Serena has won an intense battle with...Calem! Now, she and Ash have to enter the Battle Maison for real to find this guy named Abe who can hopefully set them off in the right direction of the Absolite. Of course...all challenges must be accepted, so how will they fare?

And we also got a little Team Rocket scene. Very small, but as you can see...it could be quite significant.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next one.


	14. Abe and Absol

**Author's Note:**

Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but some big things moving into place here...hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 14: Abe and Absol**

"Rockruff, finish this up with Rock Throw!"

Ash punched the air in triumph as the Puppy Pokemon barked out a reply, leaping into the air over the opposing Arcanine and sending the barrage of stones blasting down. The powerful fire type never stood a chance, crying out in surprise with his trainer as he was struck. Then, as Rockruff landed softly in front of Ash, growling in anticipation of a counterstrike, the dust began to settle, and the referee stepped forward.

"Arcanine is unable to battle! Rockruff is the winner!"

"All right! Way to go, Rockruff!" Ash cheered, running up to his Pokemon. He'd been a little uneasy about Rockruff fighting in a place like the Battle Maison, but the Puppy Pokemon sure seemed able to keep up, already having benefited from training with Ash, and obviously having learned a great deal in Alola prior to joining him.

After briefly congratulating his opponent on his efforts, Ash and Rockruff headed off the field to where Serena was waiting with the others, looking impressed with the victory. "Wow Rockruff, I didn't know you were so strong!" she said excitedly.

"Ruff!" the Puppy Pokemon barked happily, as Pikachu scurried up onto Ash's shoulder.

"Looks like we're gonna need him to be," Ash said, chuckling a little as he glanced around, seeing various trainers watching them.

It had been hectic as soon as Calem had led them through the door to the main floor of the Battle Maison. Serena had been challenged after only a few steps, having to prove she belonged immediately. Fortunately, Braixen had managed to defeat the Scyther she'd fought against, but it hadn't been easy. After that, she'd been challenged once more, narrowly beating a Flareon with Pancham.

Ash had fought five times since then, Pikachu winning the first couple, followed by Hawlucha and Decidueye, before Rockruff winning the most recent one. It was certainly fun, and it was great training for all of their Pokemon. Ash had been particularly happy with Decidueye making quick work of the Gengar he'd gone up against, using his new Spirit Shackle move, followed by a Leaf Blade. And Rockruff winning his first true battle alongside Ash was pretty special as well. However, with what they were here for, it was beginning to get a little worrying that they wouldn't be able to make it without their Pokemon getting exhausted.

"Where do you think we should go now?" Serena asked, sounding like she was trying to be quiet so as not to attract much attention. Unfortunately, that didn't seem too successful, as Ash wasn't able to answer with someone pushing past him and holding a pokeball up into Serena's face.

"I challenge you to a battle!" the trainer said, Serena staring at him in surprise.

With the Battle Maison rules, however, she needed to accept. "All right..." she said, sighing. She started to pull out a pokeball, presumably getting Sylveon's as she was her only fresh one other than her Popplio who hadn't had as much training, but just then, Ash noticed a man behind her, walking slowly with an Absol.

He looked fairly old, with hair almost as white as his Absol's fur. His Absol also looked fairly elderly, blinking slowly as it looked around as well. Nobody seemed to bother them, which was strange with challenges being thrown around all over the place. Ash got the sense that they had earned the prestige to not be challenged, though. If they wanted to battle, they would offer it.

Ash got Serena's attention, gesturing to the man before she pulled out Sylveon's pokeball. "I think you should use Absol," he said, looking at Serena's own Disaster Pokemon. "He should be fine after having those Oran berries.

Serena hesitated, but after another look at the man, who now seemed to have noticed her own Absol, she nodded. She left Ash at the sidelines and went to her position on the battlefield to face off against the trainer who had challenged her, Absol joining her. A moment later, the other trainer called out a vicious looking Fearow, while the referee prepared to begin the match. As Ash looked on to watch, he noticed that someone had come to a stop next to him.

"You and this girl are here to see me, I expect?" a voice said. Ash turned, seeing the man with the Absol looking right back at him. His eyes looked as fierce as his Absol's, but he didn't seem to be trying to be intimidating.

Ash didn't think there was any point in hiding it, and nodded. "Calem told us about you."

Abe nodded, smiling. "Interesting..." He glanced to the battlefield as Ash realized the battle was beginning, Serena ordering the first attack and striking Fearow with a Psycho Cut. "So one of you needed to qualify to enter?"

"Serena did," Ash told him, nodding in her direction. "She and Absol fought really hard together. We figured the Battle Maison would be the best place to look for...information."

"You figured correctly," Abe said, chuckling as he turned to see Absol duck under an Aerial Ace with Detect. "You are Ash, correct? The runner up at the Kalos League?"

Ash blinked at him in surprise. "Um...yeah." He decided to properly introduce the others. "And this is Pikachu, my partner Pokemon," he finished, after pointing out Rockruff, Riolu and Popplio.

"I was very impressed with your Greninja," Abe said, nodding in approval while Serena seemed to take control of the battle with Fearow, commanding an Icy Wind and Psycho Cut to force it to the ground. "That was...quite the bond you displayed." He looked to Pikachu, then Rockruff and Riolu. "I expect you have a unique ability to connect with your Pokemon on a level most trainers cannot."

Ash wasn't sure how to answer that. He watched the battle another moment, seeing Serena's Absol preparing for the finishing blow with its new Giga Impact. "I don't know if it's unique, but I hope I can connect with them. They're my family." He looked to Abe as Absol began to charge forward. "I know Serena connects with her Pokemon the same way. That Absol of hers hated humans until she took care of it. It had been badly injured by hunters, too. Now it's performing in the Interschool Pokemon League and helping her get into the Battle Maison. It's pretty amazing if you ask me."

He smiled as he turned back to the field, seeing the referee declare Absol the winner, while Abe looked on as well. The two of them watched as Serena ran up to congratulate the dark type, hugging him tightly. If it wasn't clear to Abe how close those two were, he didn't know what else would convince him.

Finally, after shaking hands with her opponent, Serena returned, looking nervous as she approached. Her Absol also appeared wary as it looked to Abe's. However, they both bowed their heads respectfully when they reached them. "You must be Abe. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Serena," Abe said, inclining his head as well. "And you, Absol."

"Sol," Abe's Absol added, blinking slowly as he looked to Serena's.

"Um..." Serena didn't seem to know what to say, shifting uncomfortably as she glanced up. "We...we met Calem when we arrived here. He mentioned you might know something about..."

"The Absolite?" Abe laughed, and then looked to his own Absol. He reached out his hand towards its neck and fiddled around a moment. Ash could see that it had some kind of collar on, with something shining at the top. He gaped as Abe pulled it free and held it up. "It took me about twenty years to find this with my Absol. Why do you think you'll find one so quickly?"

Ash looked to Serena, seeing her looking more uncomfortable. Abe hadn't asked in a mean way, but it was definitely putting her on the spot. Her Absol meanwhile, seemed locked onto the Absolite in Abe's hand.

"I...I just...we wanted to try." She looked flustered, before glancing down to Absol, who took his eyes off the Absolite to look back at her. She seemed to regain some composure at that. "We saved Absol from Pokemon hunters back in Lumiose City. His back legs had been badly injured, and he had to stay in the Pokemon Centre for a long time. I stayed with him every day to try to help him get better and trust people. He worked hard as well, learning to trust me as well, and then he wanted to begin performing with me. Maybe we won't find it...but we deserve to have a chance."

Abe nodded, appearing to like that answer. His gaze then turned to Ash. "You speak highly of Serena, Ash. You know of the bond required for Mega Evolution, don't you? I expect it's similar to the kind of bond you share with your Greninja, and likely many of your Pokemon."

"If Serena and Absol don't have that, I don't know a trainer who does," Ash said confidently, looking away a little uncomfortably as Serena smiled gratefully at hm.

"Shall we see then?" Abe asked, suddenly holding out his arm to Serena, the Absolite glittering in his hand.

Serena's eyes widened. "What...what do you mean?"

"I want to see if you can Mega Evolve your Absol," Abe said simply. "Do you have a Key Stone?"

Serena blinked in surprise, before slowly reaching out to take the Absolite. She swallowed nervously as she looked at it. As Absol sniffed it briefly, she looked back up, shaking her head. "I was only thinking about the Absolite first. I don't have a Key-"

"You can use mine!" Ash said suddenly, pulling his backpack off and opening it up. He rummaged around for a moment, before finding the little box he kept it in, seeing the blue ribbon inside there as well. He suddenly had an idea, picking up the ribbon and tying it in a loop, like a bracelet, before tying the rest around the Key Stone. It wasn't anything fancy, but it would make it easier for Serena to use. "Here," he said, standing back up and holding up the makeshift Key Stone bracelet.

"Ash..." Serena said nervously, glancing at Abe, who just watched curiously. "I don't know..."

"You have to try," Ash told her, smiling as he stepped forward, taking her hand and sliding the ribbon onto her wrist. "I know you can do this."

Serena stared at the ribbon, looking stunned at seeing the Key Stone on her wrist, before she looked back up to Ash. After a moment, she nodded, before looking into her own bag and pulling out a black bow tie. She secured the Absolite within it, before looking to Absol next to her. "Do you want to try it on?"

Absol stared curiously at the bow tie, but as his eyes focused on the Absolite, he seemed to grow more determined. "Sol," he grunted, nodding.

A moment later, trainer and Pokemon stood next to each other, each sporting the Mega Evolution stones. Ash smiled, thinking it suited both, while the rest of the Pokemon cheered loudly. A few trainers around them stared, but fortunately Serena wasn't challenged to a battle immediately. It seemed people were keeping a distance after Abe had approached them.

"Looks good on them, right Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking up to his partner Pokemon on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, eyes shining.

"What do you think, Abe?" Ash then asked, turning to where the man had been standing a moment earlier. "Huh?"

"What's the ma-" Serena looked around, noticing what was wrong. "What? Where did he go?"

Ash exchanged a confused glance with her. "I don't..." Something on the ground caught his eye, and he bent down to pick up a piece of paper.

 _Meet me in the Safari._

Ash's eyes widened, and he stood up, handing the note to Serena. She read it, narrowing her eyes in confusion, before looking back up at him. "I don't understand. Why leave like that?"

Ash smiled again, thinking he already understood. "It's a test, Serena."

"A test?"

"Abe and Absol want to see if you and your Absol can do it."

Serena looked nervous again, staring down at Absol. "But why go to the Safari?"

A passing trainer seemed to overhear them, stopping to look at Absol before glancing at the Key Stone on Serena's wrist. "I wouldn't do that if I were you guys. The Safari's no place for Pokemon with Mega Stones. Especially an Absol."

"Why's that?" Ash asked curiously.

"There's a rogue Absol out there. There's been a couple of cases of people heading out there looking for the rumoured Absolite around here, and it attacked them. From what I've heard, it's stronger than a lot of the trainers here at the Battle Maison." The trainer shrugged. "Just warning you."

As he walked away, Ash looked to Serena again, seeing her looking towards the exit that led to the Safari. "I think I know what the test is."

"Really?" Ash asked curiously.

Serena nodded, taking a deep breath as she looked down to Absol. "We need to show that Absol how close we are. If we can Mega Evolve..."

Ash grinned, seeing where she was going with this. "Well we're behind you all the way! Let's do this!"

And with that, they headed to the exit, ready to enter the Safari.

* * *

James nervously sat down in the cave that Wooper had led him and Jessie to. It was similar to the one they'd stayed in when they'd tried to steal the water, but he couldn't tell if it was the same. It seemed smaller, but that might've been because so many Pokemon were in there now, staring at him and Jessie.

The Wooper that had led them here had left shortly after, leaving them guarded by some Quagsire. Presumably it was out looking for the twerp's Goodra that had been left here, or perhaps the man that was the warden of the area. James wasn't sure which was preferable. It would be easier to communicate with the warden, but perhaps the Pokemon would be easier to convince to trust them. Of course, without Meowth, that would be tough as well. And, based on the looks they were getting, perhaps it didn't matter.

"What is this?" Jessie hissed, looking to James irritably. "Are _we_ prisoners now? Meowth and the others are prisoners for humans and now we're prisoners of Pokemon?"

James thought that was an interesting coincidence actually, but he hoped that they _weren't_ actually prisoners. With what appeared to be a group of Quagsire guards with them, though, he supposed they were prisoners for the time being at least. It depended on the warden, Goodra or Florges if that was to remain the case, though.

"Just don't insult them and we might be fine," James warned Jessie, wincing at her glare. "We can't make them mad, or we'll never gain their trust. They already have reason to hate us."

"Oh it was just a bit of water. We wanted to make a little bit of money," Jessie muttered, folding her arms and turning her glare to the Quagsire ahead of them.

James sighed, deciding he'd just wait to see what would happen. There wasn't much to be done about it now and they were out of options out searching for Meowth. If they could somehow convince the Wetlands Pokemon to help, they might stand a chance of finding something. At the very least another place would be on the lookout if they weren't already. Of course, James assumed they must be.

"I wonder why the hunters haven't taken any Pokemon from here. They seem to be fine," James murmured, looking around. Perhaps Pokemon elsewhere in the Wetlands had been taken, but he expected there would've been some kind of agitation if there was. There was some of that, but it seemed to be directed at Jessie and James who they didn't seem to consider too much of a threat at the moment.

"Too many Pokemon all in one place," Jessie said, looking around the cave. "Even with us, we weren't a huge group in comparison. They'd need to bring out more hunters to take Pokemon from here, and they likely don't want to mess with a Goodra, too. It's too much of a risk for getting caught."

James nodded, thinking about that. It did seem that the Pokemon picked off in the forest were likely in smaller groups, or even just alone. Here it would take much more to capture the Pokemon, and there was a strong leader to protect them in case of an attack. It definitely didn't seem like the kind of place they would be targeting until they were more confident in coming out in the open. It almost seemed foolish to even look for them here.

"It would be too noticeable if anything happened here..." James murmured, staring at the mouth of the cave, where he could just see the swamps below. "So...people wouldn't think to search for the hunters around here. Especially if the Pokemon seemed to be safe. If Pokemon are going missing in other places, people will be rushing to search those areas."

"What's your point?" Jessie asked, sighing as she leaned back, appearing bored.

"Jessie...the hunters might be hiding _here_!" James gulped nervously. "Maybe not exactly in the Wetlands, but nearby. They'd be fairly close to two of the bigger cities in Kalos, with Laverre City and Lumiose City, and they'd be hidden in plain sight with all the safe Pokemon."

"That's ridiculous," Jessie said, although she sounded hesitant. "People are still around here. There's the warden and some others who guard the area."

"They're looking for _new_ signs," James pointed out. "They might've already been here."

Jessie looked nervous, but then she turned to James looking somewhat hopeful. "We might be able to save Meowth and the others."

James nodded, looking up as he noticed a Bellsprout entering the cave, followed by a man, who looked to be the warder, and the familiar form of Goodra. "We'll need help, though," he finally said, as the trio approached.

* * *

"Aggron, Hyper Beam!"

Meowth winced as he tried to stand, glancing behind him at the still forms of a Growlithe, Pidgeotto and Bisharp. He, Wobbuffet and Skiddo were the only ones left standing of the six Pokemon that had been selected this morning for "training". It had been terrifying enough, with their experiences so far in these situations, but Meowth hadn't enjoyed finding out it would be with the hunter that had caught him and the other Team Rocket Pokemon.

He was going to sleep and waking up every day feeling sore. The hunters had been as cruel as imagined in his time with them thus far, and worse. Meowth wasn't sure yet what the hunters seemed to want, but they definitely didn't just intend to sell Pokemon on some kind of black market. He'd been pulled away for various tests, where they examined his vitals and what he was like in comparison to Pokemon known to be able to Mega Evolve. And on days where he wasn't being poked and prodded, he was being "trained" against powerful Pokemon in an effort to bring out more power so that they could do further tests in case he somehow evolved.

 _I ain't_ _gonna get stronger or evolve with nonsense like dis_ , Meowth thought, as he managed to duck underneath the Hyper Beam, along with Wobbuffet and Skiddo. He had hoped to at some point try to win one of these battles with the Pokemon he was gathered with, thinking that maybe they could escape, but they were all fairly weak. Meowth and Wobbuffet had managed to hide what they could do, not that it was too much, but it was fairly clear the hunters were careful to keep the Pokemon contained.

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo cried out from in front of Meowth as they stood up, breathing heavily. The grass type was looking terrified, clearly unsure of what to do other than get hit by a very painful attack. That was essentially how all of these sessions ended.

"Hang in der, pal," Meowth whispered, ensuring none of the watching hunters could hear him. "We'll be okay." _Soon._

Skiddo glanced back at him, looking doubtful, but there wasn't much else it could do. Before either of them could do anything else, though, the hunter with the Aggron was preparing to call another attack. "Aggron, hit them with-"

Meowth and the others winced again, preparing for yet another attack to come their way, but when none came, they looked up, seeing the hunter stopping and looking to something behind them. Meowth turned, seeing the man named Raphael having emerged onto their battlefield. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest as he stepped over the limp forms of the Pokemon that had been sent out with Meowth and the others.

"Sir!" the Aggron trainer said suddenly, bowing and then standing straight, appearing to be waiting for some kind of order.

"How is the training going?" Raphael asked, glancing back at Meowth and the others. "Appears to be a weak group. I would like there to be some progress. Tests show we've developed a few more altered Mega Stones, but those are still only with Pokemon known to Mega Evolve. I need to know if we can expand on that, and with weak Pokemon, we can't do that."

"Understood, sir," the man said, bowing again. "It appears as though there isn't much progress with those three," he pointed to the downed Pokemon. "These ones at least show some level of intelligence and speed," he added, gesturing to Meowth, Skiddo and Wobbuffet.

Raphael nodded, seeing the torn up battlefield and the Pokemon that were still standing. "Very well. We'll sell the weak ones unless they can be used for any of our other tests, or perhaps the breeding program."

Meowth gulped at that. What other kinds of tests could he mean? And a breeding program? Why breed what he thought were weak Pokemon. _Unless his tests have figured out a way to breed Pokemon to be stronger..._

"This Meowth...does he watch you often when you speak to others?" Raphael suddenly said, staring at Meowth with narrowed eyes.

Meowth did his best to not suddenly look away. He knew that would increase the suspicion, so he simply sat down and tilted his head, trying to appear like he was clueless. He flicked his tail a few times as well, although that was partly out of nervousness. He finally looked away, pretending to be interested in a moving shadow as a hunter nearby was walking away.

"Seems like a dumb cat to me," the hunter responded. "Never liked Meowths. Persian's an all right Pokemon, but Meowths are puny little weaklings."

 _I'll show you puny..._ Meowth had to fight not to unsheathe his claws at that.

"Never mind then," Raphael said, glancing once more at Meowth, before setting off towards a hallway. "Put them back in their cages and come to my office. We're holding a meeting about our plans for the Interschool Pokemon League Playoffs. If our testing from now till then goes well, I believe it may be time to make a move."

"You want to go out into the open?" the hunter asked, sounding shocked.

"We've been hidden for years. With our altered Mega Stones and research on strengthening Pokemon and bending them to our will, we should be able to successfully defeat the gathered trainers at these playoffs." Raphael laughed as he glanced back at the hunter. "Selling Pokemon on the black market makes us plenty of money. Imagine the power we'd hold by striking these schools. We could use them to do further research and we could begin expanding our reach. We could be bigger than organizations such as Team Rocket."

"As you say, sir," the hunter murmured, before Raphael left and he turned to Meowth and the others. He glanced at a couple of hunters nearby and snapped his fingers. "Round 'em up and get them in the cages."

Meowth didn't fight as he was taken ahold of and dragged down a hallway towards where the room with his cage was. He knew there was no point in that after seeing what some struggling Pokemon had been put through previously. He was biding his time for his time to make a move.

He looked ahead as Wobbuffet was pulled through the door first, the Patient Pokemon also remaining quiet. Meowth had urged him to do so in the dead of night after their first day, when his old friend had stepped in front of him to protect him with Mirror Coat when he'd been attacked for simply stumbling. They needed to appear afraid and willing to do what the hunters wanted.

Skiddo was pushed in next, following the example Wobbuffet set in front of him, stumbling a bit, but managing to step forward as he was pushed. As Meowth was pulled through the door, he saw the Mount Pokemon being pushed to his cage. It made a little noise, getting kicked for it, but as he was kicked, Meowth was pretty sure he saw its horns briefly glow. The hunter didn't seem to notice, however, pushing Skiddo further into the cage before closing it. A moment later, he reached back to Meowth, stuffing him into his cage and kicking the door shut.

Meowth watched the hunter leave, and once he was out of the room, he smiled.

"Did you do it, pal?"

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo responded, almost like it was a laugh.

"You guys okay from earlier?" Meowth asked, directing his voice out to where Growlithe, Pidgeotto and Bisharp were usually caged.

"Growl!"

"Pidgaw!"

"Sharp!"

"Wobbuffet?" Meowth finished, looking across to the Patient Pokemon.

"Wob!"

Meowth nodded, smirking as he poked his door, right where he expected Skiddo's Worry Seed to be. It was dark, so he couldn't be sure, but he felt something pressed onto where the lock would be. It felt like a small sapling was growing there. It offered some resistance, but Meowth gave a slightly harder push.

"It's time," he said, as his door opened.

 **Author's Note:**

And so, Meowth has been plotting escape, Team Rocket might have a powerful ally to help him, and Serena's getting close to trying Mega Evolution. Next one's gonna be an epic ride (hopefully). Hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to what's to come.

On another note, I just want to address the big stuff going on right now with the Coronavirus aka COVID-19 outbreak. Hope all of you and your loved ones are ok. I know a lot of things are being canceled, postponed, limited, etc. It might look scary seeing some of that. This is by no means the end of the world, though. These are precautions to slow the spread and protect the vulnerable. Just lay low if that's what's being suggested. Maybe read some fanfics if you're bored at home. Stay safe not just for you, but for others. Hopefully I can provide some entertainment while this is going on.

See you next time.


	15. A Mega Dream

**Author's Note:**

An intense chapter coming up. It's a bit weird, but...I think it works. I've been looking forward to it for a loooonnnngggg time anyway, so hopefully you all enjoy it. Time for Serena's big test!

 **Chapter 15: A Mega Dream**

Serena led the way once she and Ash were outside of the Battle Maison, and in the Safari. It had been easy to get out, nobody seeming interested in challenging them relentlessly once they'd been approached by Abe. However, it was nice to get back out into the fresh air, and away from the loud sounds of battle and yelling trainers. Even Ash seemed a little relieved.

"Looks pretty nice," Ash said as they began to walk. "I wonder if it's like the Safari Zone back in Kanto."

"That's where you got all those Tauros, right?" Serena asked, giggling as she looked back at him.

"Yeah," he said, laughing along. "Thirty of them by the end of it. Any time I tried catching another Pokemon they just ran right in front. They love it at Professor Oak's, though, so it was totally worth it for them and me."

Serena smiled at that, appreciating how Ash loved anything to do with his Pokemon. A lot of other trainers might've been frustrated only getting Tauros out of an expedition in the Safari Zone, but Ash managed to make it seem like winning the lottery.

"I wonder what Pokemon are around here," Ash then said, staring around curiously. "If there's a rogue Absol, maybe a lot of them hide away."

Just then, however, a couple of Doduo ran over a hill up ahead, before disappearing into some bushes, while a Poliwag poked its head up out of a pond towards their left. Serena was pretty sure she could see some rustling bushes up ahead, too, just in front of the forest that stretched out in front of them. It seemed there were at least some Pokemon around, but maybe they liked the cover of the forest growth.

"The rogue Absol is probably further from the Battle Maison," Serena suggested, looking around for any other signs of Pokemon. "It sounds like it makes a point of only attacking trainers, so other Pokemon might not be afraid of it."

Ash nodded, apparently agreeing, before he looked to Serena's Absol. "Do you sense anything, Absol? You might be able to sense something we can't find."

"Sol," Absol grunted, before stepping out in front of Serena and closing his eyes. He seemed to be trying to feel with his mind, rather than listen or smell what was out there. When he opened his eyes and looked back at Serena, though, he looked disappointed.

"Don't worry, Absol, we'll find that other Absol. Or Abe if we need to." She couldn't help but glance around a bit nervously, though, thinking of what that trainer had said. _Or is that Absol going to find us?_

They continued walking for a few minutes, pausing briefly if a noise was heard, or a bush rustled nearby with a wandering Pokemon. They eventually came to another stop and Ash looked to Rockruff, who was looking a little restless. Serena could see that he was quite excited about his battle success back at the Battle Maison, and rather than being tired out, he'd been invigorated by it. Ash seemed to have an idea for how to burn off some of that energy.

"Rockruff, do you think you might be able to sniff out where another Absol might be, or possibly what direction Abe and his migh've gone?" He then looked to Riolu, which surprised Serena, until she heard the next idea. "And Riolu," Ash then said. "Do you know if you might be able to sense any strong auras around here? I bet this Absol might have one."

Rockruff was already off, sniffing Serena's Absol briefly, before putting his nose to the ground and trying to find some kind of trail. He seemed to have some kind of general direction, but he didn't look too sure. Riolu meanwhile, had stopped and closed his eyes after some encouragement from Ash.

"Ru ruru," he murmured, eyelids twitching as he tried to search for whatever it was he was looking for. His head briefly tilted in the direction of Ash, Serena and their Pokemon, mainly Absol, before he seemed to focus ahead. It seemed to strain him quite a bit, though, and he stopped after about a minute, breathing heavily.

"It's okay, Riolu," Ash said, petting the young Pokemon on the head. "I bet it's tough, but I thought it was worth a try." He looked ahead to Rockruff as well, seeing the Puppy Pokemon sniffing relentlessly in an attempt to find a trail. He seemed confused, but still wanted to continue, so the group resumed walking, despite still having no clear trail.

After awhile, it was becoming clear they didn't seem to know where to go, and they stopped once more. Serena sighed, wondering what to do. She could see that Ash was frustrated with himself, obviously wanting to help, and felt bad, knowing that while this was technically a school assignment for both of them, it was mainly a quest for her and Absol. He'd done a lot for her already, and she wanted to take the lead.

 _That's part of the test!_ she realized suddenly. She looked around, trying to think of what exactly she was being asked to prove. Based on what Calem had said, nobody even seemed to get this far with whatever Abe wanted from them in terms of him giving them information on the Absolite. If that was the case, Serena must've shown him something that only she could do. What was that, though?

Her eyes suddenly fell on something that was behind them, looking like it was hiding behind a tree. She blinked in surprise, realizing it was a Poliwag, possibly the one she'd spotted earlier. It was surely just a coincidence, but Serena was also pretty sure this could have something to do with her "test". She was aspiring to become Kalos Queen one day, and she needed to show what that meant. Absol was part of her team, but it was a _team_...so maybe she needed to work with all of them.

"Popplio," she suddenly said, looking to her Alolan water type, meeting Absol's eyes briefly as she turned.

"Pop?" Popplio responded, hopping over to her as Ash and the others looked at her curiously.

"I might need you, okay? Can you be ready?" Serena asked, smiling to Popplio. The performing Pokemon nodded happily, looking like she could sense an opportunity to perform approaching, before Serena looked back over to the hiding Poliwag. "Poliwag, can you come out?"

"Poli?" the Poliwag squeaked out, poking its head out, before ducking behind the tree quickly as it looked at all the staring Pokemon. Serena narrowed her eyes, seeing that it appeared most nervous of Absol.

Serena gave it a moment, before she looked to Popplio again, the Sea Lion Pokemon awaiting what it seemed to know was a chance to perform. "Popplio, why don't you show Poliwag your water bubble juggling? I bet it would be really impressed!"

"Serena, what does this...?" Ash trailed off as Serena smiled towards him. He seemed to understand she had a plan then, and just smiled back, looking interested in seeing what she wanted to do.

"Popplio!" Popplio then called out excitedly, hopping onto a nearby tree stump, before blowing out three bubbles and beginning to juggle them. She was quite capable of doing at least five, but Serena knew she liked to save that as the performing went on.

Poliwag seemed impressed by it as it was, though, poking its head out a bit more, and then eventually hopping out from its little hiding place, eyes shining with interest as it watched. "Poliwag!" it cheered, as Popplio added another bubble. Serena joined in, applauding as Popplio stood up higher on her flippers, eventually adding in another bubble for louder cheers, with Ash and the rest of the Pokemon joining in.

"Pop!" Popplio then cried out as she was finishing up, blowing one last bubble that she balanced on her nose while she juggled the others another few seconds. She finished by popping each in a spray of blue sparkles, getting one last cheer from the group.

"Poli! Poliwag!" the Poliwag cheered the loudest, hopping up and down with excitement, clearly having loved the performance of its fellow water type. Serena sensed this was her chance.

"Did you enjoy that Poliwag?" she asked, the Tadpole Pokemon looking to her curiously as it settled down. It no longer appeared afraid. When it nodded, Serena continued. "That's great!" she said, exchanging a smile with the small water type. "I know Popplio enjoyed your cheers!" She giggled as Popplio voiced her agreement, adding in a little bow. Serena waited another moment, before getting to what she wanted to say. "You see, Poliwag...Popplio and I, along with Absol here, and three of my other Pokemon...we want to perform together and bring joy to people and Pokemon all over the world, just like we were able to bring joy to you just now."

"Poliwag?" Poliwag tilted its head curiously.

"We're here because there's something we're hoping to accomplish for... _with_ Absol. Our team...our _family_ , wants to help him achieve something really amazing." She paused, seeing Poliwag glance ahead up the path, and she knew she was on the right track. "You know what it is, don't you?"

"Poli..." Poliwag looked nervous, but after a glance at Popplio, it nodded. "Poli!" it then added more confidently, nodding.

"Can you lead us in the right direction?"

"Poli!"

With that, the group set off once more, Serena smiling brightly as they followed Poliwag down the path, the Tadpole Pokemon marching them towards...something. She didn't know if it would be the rogue Absol, but she knew it would be important. Seeing Ash walking confidently behind her gave her a boost, though, glad that he'd be there to help no matter what was ahead.

The first thing that lay ahead wasn't the rogue Absol, but when Serena first saw it, it appeared just as dangerous as what they'd been told to expect. It _was_ a Pokemon, and a fierce looking one at that. However, it was a Gyrados, roaring in lake at the edge of a clearing they'd reached. The Poliwag that had led them here appeared distressed as it looked at the Gyrados, glancing back at Serena hopefully.

Serena smiled, understanding what she needed to do. "Sylveon, Pancham, come on out!" she called, tossing the two pokeballs out in front of her.

"Veon!"

"Cham!"

Ash watched curiously as Serena looked ahead, seeming to know that she seemed to have a direction she was following with all of this. It made her blush a bit, glad to know that he had the confidence in her to follow this through and pass this test. She still wasn't sure _exactly_ what it was, but she knew that showing what her team did together would be the best way to find what they needed.

"Sylveon, you and I should go talk to Gyrados, okay? Just like with that Tauros in the IPL." Serena could see the hesitant look on her Pokemon's faces, but Sylveon seemed happy enough to go with her, wrapping a ribbon-like feeler around her wrist and joining her as she approached the lake.

The Gyrados roared as it saw them approaching, but as it bent down to bare its fangs at them, Serena simply smiled ahead, before calmly ordering Sylveon to use Fairy Wind. She did so immediately, in the soft, gentle way she had used it against the Tauros in their performance in the IPL. The reaction from Gyrados was quite similar.

The fierce water type stared at them, blinking slowly, before it lowered its head, tilting it and opening its jaws further. Now Serena could see why she had been brought here by Poliwag. "Pancham, can you help Gyrados?" she asked, looking to the Playful Pokemon.

"Cham!" he cried out confidently, leaping onto Gyrados' back confidently. Gyrados seemed to understand he was being helped, though, and allowed Pancham to scurry up to his head and hang down, peering into its fierce jaws. "Pancham cham!" he called out as he hopped down, grabbing ahold of something in Gyrados' fangs, and pulling. It came lose with a big yank, and Pancham landed softly on the grass by the lake, holding a large branch that had been stuck in Gyrados' teeth.

The Atrocious Pokemon didn't appear so atrocious anymore, stretching his jaws and looking extremely relieved. After a moment, it looked down at Serena and her Pokemon with shining eyes. It roared in a way that conveyed its gratitude, while Poliwag hopped forward to greet it.

"I'm glad you're okay, Gyrados," Serena said, glancing back to see that Ash was with her, looking impressed. She returned her gaze to the water type as it looked back at her, and knew she could get its help with what she needed next. "Do you think you could help me with something? I'm looking for an Absol. I've heard there's one around here."

Gyrados looked hesitant a moment, almost fearful, but it nodded and turned its head towards a path by the edge of the lake. Behind it the forest stretched further ahead, but beyond that, there was a large cliff, and Serena was sure that there was a cave entrance at the bottom that they would likely need to head into. Unfortunately, the only way onto this path seemed to be blocked by a massive boulder.

The boulder wasn't a problem for long, however, as Gyrados moved through the water and straightened out in front of it. After studying it a moment, the Atrocious Pokemon roared loudly, the cry ringing in Serena's ears. However, it appeared to be worth it, as she watched Gyrados obliterate the boulder blocking the path with a mighty Hyper Beam.

"All right! Way to go Gyrados!" Ash called out, Riolu cheering alongside him. "Looks like you've made us some good friends, Serena!" he added, looking to a pleased Poliwag.

Serena nodded, smiling as they said farewell to the two water types, and began making their way down the path. It still wasn't going to be easy, but she was glad she seemed to have figured out some way of finding where she needed to go. As she looked to her side, seeing Absol looking back curiously, she knew that showing off her teamwork with all of her Pokemon was important not only for showing Abe what she was capable of, but also for showing Absol what he was a part of.

"Sol..."

They stopped as they reached the cave towards the end of the path. It was pitch black inside, and Serena knew that the next stage of their journey would be difficult. She believed in Absol and the others, though,and knew that they would get through it together.

"Do you sense something, Absol?" Serena asked, nervously fingering the ribbon and Key Stone on her wrist. She could see the glittering Absolite in Absol's bow tie, and wondered if they were nearing the chance to make use of the stones.

"Sol," Absol answered her, nodding as he stared ahead. He glanced to Pancham, Sylveon and Popplio as the three of them moved to his sides, surprisingly looking a little uneasy as they did so. Serena gave him an encouraging nod, though, and he nodded to the three of them in return to show his appreciation.

"We're going to need a way to see in there," Ash pointed out as he looked into the cave. He smiled as he glanced back to Serena. "I guess you'll need the whole gang to do this."

Serena smiled back, pleased that Ash understood what she was trying to accomplish. She pulled her last pokeball out then, and called out Braixen, the Fox Pokemon emerging at the head of the group. She turned around, smiling to Absol and gestured for him to walk beside her, before she lit the tip of her wand in flames. Then, the two of them led the rest of the group into the cave.

* * *

Meowth's whole body was shaking as he and the other Pokemon scurried down the hall. He'd been hesitant about doing the escape attempt during the day, but with all the planning he'd done until this point, it appeared that night time wouldn't have been any different, and perhaps more difficult with no other tasks for any guards to do.

And, with word that there was going to be a meeting on various hunter plans with Raphael going around, Meowth knew this would be the best chance if he and the others were going to escape any time soon. With most of the hunters, and all the most powerful of them, gathered for a meeting, there was no greater opportunity to strike.

Meowth had seen Skiddo's Worry Seed in action with an early training battle with a hunter, and while it hadn't resulted in any kind of success then, with the poor grass type immediately knocked out in that battle, it had definitely made Meowth think more on how it could be used. He'd seen that the doors locked immediately upon closing with their cages, and figured that if they could prevent them closing completely, it would be the chance to hop out. And, all they needed was him to get out, before he could pick the locks on the other cages with his claws.

He hadn't considered how scared he'd be once he had a large group of beaten and frightened followers, though, with many having had no idea of the planned escape. They were going to have to move quick, and it was hard enough to do so without the limping and shying away at every noise.

Meowth had pushed through, though, and while he knew he wasn't going to be able to free all the Pokemon, he'd managed to get into a few rooms, and had released a few dozen Pokemon by the time he knew they needed to make their way to an exit if there was one. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to find all of his Team Rocket Pokemon friends, but he had found Seviper, Yamask, Inkay and Gourgeist. Seviper had been particularly helpful in battering down a couple doors that were tough to open.

"All right, you guys," Meowth whispered as he stood at the edge of a hallway after clearing their last room. "As much as I'd like ta get de others outta here, we gotta go or none of us is getting' out." He glanced ahead, seeing a hallway that seemed to lead to a bigger area that might've been some kind of lobby. They risked running into someone there, but it seemed like the best way to find an exit. "Let's go dis way!"

The Pokemon behind him were obedient. Whether that was because of the hunter abuse, fear of being caught, or both, Meowth didn't know. However, it was helpful in the current situation, and they followed smoothly as he darted ahead, Skiddo close behind him, while Wobbuffet and Seviper covered the rear of the group.

They reached the hallway quickly, before slowly heading down towards the lobby. That was when they had their first encounter, a hunter walking down another hallway, appearing bored as he stared at a tablet in his hands. He glanced up too late, eyes widening as Meowth had Skiddo use Vine Whip to knock him out.

"Nice one, pal!" Meowth congratulated the Mount Pokemon, seeing Skiddo looking pleased with its quick action. "You ain't so weak after all!"

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo bleated out happily, before following along as Meowth found the direction towards the exit.

They had two more close calls as they went down that hallway. First, a hunter appeared at the rear, making a grab at a Pokemon before Wobbuffet blocked him and sent him flying into the ceiling with a Counter attack. Next, was one hunter opening a door and finding himself in the middle of the column of Pokemon. He ended up being swarmed and knocked out nearly right away.

Eventually, they reached what appeared to be a dead end, but Meowth could see a couple of buttons next to what appeared to be a massive metal door. He decided he'd hit them, expecting one to open it up. Unfortunately, as soon as he hit one of them, an alarm started blaring.

"Unauthorized exit detected at gate four! Unauthorized exit detected at gate four!"

Meowth's eyes widened at the computerized voice coming from the speakers as the alarm blasted a siren throughout the halls. He couldn't believe it. After slipping through the halls almost completely unnoticed, he'd messed it all up by hitting a button. This couldn't be it! They needed to escape _now_! They might not get another chance before it was too late.

"Hey! What's going on here?!"

Meowth turned his head as he saw a hunter popping out of a room. He looked furious, but the appearance of dozens of Pokemon in front of him seemed to surprise him, and it gave Meowth the chance to see the key card around his neck. He glanced back at the buttons he'd pushed so carelessly, seeing the card reader next to them. _I just need that card_ , he told himself, glancing to Skiddo, before looking back and seeing Seviper and Wobbuffet holding off a couple of hunters emerging at the back.

"All right, pal," Meowth said to Skiddo then, knowing they needed to act fast. "We gotta get dis guy's card, okay?"

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo bleated in determination, pawing at the ground with his hoof, looking ready to charge.

Meowth smirked, before hopping up onto Skiddo's back and taking hold of his horns. "Charge!"

And Skiddo did just that. Not only him, but about ten others as well. The Growlithe and Bisharp from their earlier training group, and even a small Shinx joined in, looking fierce and determined, knowing this was their chance to escape. The hunter seemed to realize he didn't have a chance, and before he was hit by the wave of Pokemon, he yelled into a transceiver.

"Initiate lockdown! I repeat! Initiate lockdown!"

"Lock dis down!" Meowth yelled, leaping off of Skiddo and slashing at the hunter's face with his claws, while Growlithe barreled into him alongside Shinx, and the others followed closely behind. The man went quiet after that, and Meowth quickly pulled his key card off. He hopped on Skiddo's back again and the Mount Pokemon hurried over to the buttons as more hunters started to arrive.

"Lock the exit!" they were yelling, too busy worrying about yelling into their transceivers to think of the Pokemon charging at them with all the hatred that the abuse of these monsters had brought on.

Fortunately for Meowth, the exits didn't seem to be getting locked in time. He swiped the key, noticing a green light flashing briefly, before he slapped the top button again. The metal door began to open slowly, and he and the other Pokemon began rushing towards it. As they reached it, Meowth hopped off of Skiddo's back and yelled for him to run through, while he hung back with his fellow Team Rocket Pokemon to fight off the remaining hunters that were emerging.

A couple finally seemed to have brought Pokemon, and Meowth winced as a couple of stragglers from his group were hit and suddenly pulled back, taken back into the arms of the hunters. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to leave them, knowing he needed to get the others out as quickly as possible.

He slashed away at a couple of Pokemon, fighting hard alongside Inkay, Gourgeist and Seviper, while Wobbuffet seemed to guide more Pokemon from their group through the door. Finally, they seemed to have the opening as the last of their group ran through, and Meowth gave an opposing Doublade a hard swipe with his claw, surprised to see his claws glow purple a moment as he did so. He couldn't think too much about that, though, darting though the door with the others, while Wobbuffet deflected a Nidoking's Hyper Beam right back towards a large group of hunters. Meowth gave one last look back, before running hard after the group ahead of him.

As he ran, he didn't dare hope for the success he almost thought he had. He could see darkness ahead of him, wondering if they were entering some kind of cave. Part of him wondered why Pokemon like the Growlithe weren't lighting things up with their fire attacks. He started to look towards Inkay, wondering if he should ask it to use Psybeam. However, in that moment, he started to feel like nothing was below his feet.

He could hear the cries below him, and he gulped, turning around and making a grab towards where he'd been a moment before. He heard Seviper cry out in surprise as well, the poison type bumping into him midair. Inkay and Gourgeist, despite floating, were struggling as well, trying to hold up Wobbuffet from falling. Meowth knew it was no use, though, feeling the pull of gravity as he looked down.

And then he fell.

* * *

Braixen and Absol led the group deeper and deeper into the cave, and after awhile, Serena was becoming a little worried they'd be lost in there forever. However, the two of them were able to reassure her, with Absol looking sure he knew the way, and with Braixen proudly lighting the path. The team looked to be working well together to find this rogue Absol, and Serena was proud of each and every one of her Pokemon in the roles they'd played thus far.

"Do you think you'll need to battle this Absol?" Ash asked, walking alongside Serena as they followed Braixen and Absol. "Considering what that trainer at the Battle Maison had said, I would've thought we'd have been attacked by now. It almost seems like..."

"Like it wants us to come to it?" Serena finished, seeing Ash nod. "I was thinking that, too." She almost wondered if she'd passed the test already, but she knew that couldn't be right. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could Mega Evolve Absol right now if she wanted to. She could feel... _something_ in the Key Stone connecting her to Absol, but it seemed...far away. Something was still missing.

"Whatever it's planning, we're with you," Ash told her then, Pikachu nodding his agreement. "You've worked too hard for this to end now."

Serena smiled gratefully, glad to have Ash with her. His confidence seemed contagious in situations like this. She wasn't sure she could've thought of what to do earlier in finding this place if Ash hadn't been here. As wild as Ash could be with some of his antics, he gave her a sense of calm to figure out what she needed to do.

She was about to answer him then, but she suddenly stopped, realizing that Braixen and Absol had halted up ahead. Ash had noticed, too, looking curiously ahead to see what the two Pokemon were looking at. Serena followed his gaze as his eyes widened.

As Serena stepped forward, getting a better view, Braixen raised her wand, lighting up more of the area ahead of them. When Serena could see what it was as well, her own eyes widened in surprise. It was the last thing she had expected.

"That's...Abe's Absol..." Ash sounded hesitant, as though he wasn't sure. Serena couldn't blame him, knowing that what he said must've been true. However, from what they'd seen of the elderly Absol, it hadn't been nearly as...angry as this one. This Absol growled at them menacingly, clearly very different from the calm Absol that had been at his elder trainer's side.

"Abe?" Serena called out hopefully, thinking that maybe if he was somewhere nearby he'd be able to help calm his Absol down. There was no answer, though, and the opposing Absol continued to growl.

Ash seemed to sense a fight was coming, and he started to move forward, his hand going to a pokeball at his belt, while Pikachu was preparing to leap from his shoulder. Riolu and Rockruff looked ready to fight as well. "Ready, Pika-"

"Wait," Serena said quickly, raising a hand to stop Ash, who looked at her in surprise. "I think...I think Abe meant for this to happen." She looked across to the growling Absol and smiled. "You're the supposed 'rogue' Absol, aren't you?"

Abe's Absol narrowed its eyes, growling another moment, before suddenly stopping. It stared back at Serena, and then nodded. "Sol," it grunted out, taking a step forward, still looking prepared to fight.

"And...Abe wants us to battle?" Serena asked, feeling her voice shake a bit. This seemed tougher than any of her previous battles. Abe's Absol might've been elderly, but it looked like it could give Ash's best Pokemon a challenge.

Her own Absol stepped forward at that, while Braixen and Serena's other Pokemon moved back to her sides. Abe's Absol tilted his head as he looked at Serena a moment, before he gave her an answer. He leaped forward, engaging in battle with her own Absol with no warning. "Sol!"

Serena jumped in surprise at the sudden attack, but knew she couldn't be let off guard, immediately ordering a counter as the opposing Disaster Pokemon lashed out with a Shadow Claw. "Absol, use Detect, and then jump back and use Icy Wind!"

"Absol!" her own Absol cried out, ducking under Shadow Claw with Detect, before getting back and unleashing a blast of icy energy over his opponent. Abe's Absol shied away at that, wincing as ice covered his fur, but he didn't seem too concerned, quickly re-engaging in the fight.

"Serena, look out!" Ash warned suddenly.

It was too late, though, and Serena watched as her Absol managed to step aside from another Shadow Claw, before being grabbed by the neck in his opponent's jaws with a menacing Bite attack. It left him completely vulnerable for a ferocious Thunderbolt, Abe's Absol's horn shining in a white light, before electricity surrounded it and blasted out across his opponent's body.

"Sooolll!" Serena's Absol cried out, staggering back and stumbling to his knees from the attack. Abe's Absol didn't let up, though, running forward and slashing with a glowing, purple horn. The Night Slash seemed to lift Serena's Absol up into the air, before throwing him hard across the open area of the cave.

"Absol!" Serena cried out, worried for her Pokemon, knowing he hadn't really had much time to recover from his earlier battles, and was likely still tired. This had to be too much for him.

"Brai..." Braixen murmured from her side, looking equally worried. However, as she placed her paw on Serena's arm in an attempt to comfort her, Serena realized something, glancing down at her wrist.

"That's it!" She looked to Absol and he seemed to be thinking the same thing as he, narrowing his eyes and straining to stand up, managing to just get himself upright as Abe's Absol started to stalk towards him, ready to engage again. "Absol, it's our only chance!" Serena called out, her Disaster Pokemon nodding in answer. "I believe in you, and I believe we can accomplish this dream together! Mega Evolve!"

"SOL!"

"All right!" Ash cheered behind Serena, and she grinned as she held up her wrist, watching as Absol angled his horn with the Absolite on it in her direction.

It was like nothing Serena had ever experienced before. She saw both stones shining brightly, the light of Mega Evolution harsh in the dark cave. However, the blinding lights were nothing compared to the feeling of...well, she didn't know. She was sure it was some kind of connection to Absol, though, feeling her heart racing faster, and the desire to win intensifying. She even saw herself a moment, dressed in one of her performing outfits, doing her various routines with her other Pokemon. Then, she saw herself in the Pokemon Centre, caring for Absol as he was injured. She saw Gabby defeating her in the IPL, and the Medicham scaring Absol in Shalour. And then she saw-

"Ahh!"

The connection cut off like an electrical shock, and Serena fell back, feeling her wrist burning. She felt Ash and Braixen starting to hold her up, but her mind was fuzzy, somewhat forgetting where she was. She stared blankly ahead, not really seeing anything, perhaps being somewhat blinded by the lights from the Mega Evolution stones.

 _The Key Stone!_

She looked down at her wrist, eyes widening as she saw the Key Stone still shining in a white light, although beginning to dim. That wasn't what surprised her, though, as she looked at her wrist underneath the stone. "It...it burned me."

Ash looked speechless, staring at the burn mark as well, before his eyes shot up to look towards the scene in front of them. Serena instantly felt panic rise in her as she followed his gaze, seeing Absol having dropped once more to his knees, looking equally shocked and exhausted by the failed Mega Evolution attempt. Ahead of him, Abe's Absol still looked ready to fight, and Serena had no idea what she could do to stop it.

"Sol..." it growled, raising its claw, shadows covering it.

"Absol!" Serena cried out, trying to stand, but instantly feeling dizzy and falling back to the ground, Ash catching her and holding her up.

"Cham!"

"Veon!"

"Pop!"

"Brai!"

Serena's eyes widened as she watched her Pokemon leap out in front of her, Abe's Absol instantly stopping his approach as he stared down a new set of opponents. Popplio and Sylveon were at Serena's Absol's sides, comforting the injured Disaster Pokemon, while Pancham and Braixen stood in front, ready to protect their teammate and friend.

That was when Abe arrived.

"You may rest now, Absol," the voice of the elderly man echoed through the cave, his Absol instantly sitting calmly, staring back at the fierce looking Pancham and Braixen.

Serena and Ash jumped a little at the voice, turning around and seeing Abe walking slowly into the open area from behind them. Serena still felt a bit dizzy, and Ash had to help her stand straight, but she managed to face Abe as he approached. She couldn't help but let her irritation show.

"Your Absol attacked mine!" she said accusingly. "I thought it was a test, but he was trying to hurt it. He-"

"Your Absol is tired, yes," Abe interrupted. "Not injured, however. Not by my Absol, at least. His injury is much older, is it not?'

Serena blinked in confusion, glancing back to her Absol and seeing him struggling to his feet, while looking cautiously at Abe's Absol. He looked disappointed more than anything. "Nurse Joy said he was healed."

"Physically, yes," Abe said, nodding. "What he's been through leaves worse than physical damage, however. I'm sure you're aware."

Serena nodded, looking down in shame. She knew Absol still struggled with what had happened to him, but she had thought performing and going on this quest together was a way for him to get better. Was she wrong? Did this just make it worse? "Did I...did I hurt him?"

"Not at all," Abe assured her, smiling comfortingly. He glanced towards Absol, and Serena followed his gaze as her Pokemon began to head over to them, watched by Abe's Absol who remained seated. When Absol was back at Serena's side, looking tired and disappointed, she knelt down and hugged him reassuringly.

"I'm sorry, Absol. I didn't want to push you that hard," she said, realizing that accepting a battle with Abe's Absol might've been too much, even if it was a test for the Mega Stone.

"Sol," the Disaster Pokemon answered, shaking his head and nuzzling her. She smiled at that, before looking to Abe as he spoke again.

"Serena...Absol," he said slowly, looking at the two carefully. "I've had countless trainers come to me in search of information for the mysterious Kiloude City Absolite that's been rumoured to be available. I've never given any of them any information about it. Do you know why that is?"

Serena didn't know what to answer. The truth was, she had no idea what had compelled Abe to give her any information instead of any other trainers. She and Absol had a special relationship given what had happened, but there must've been other trainers with unique backgrounds as well.

Ash gave an answer, though. "Because it's not true. The rumour...it's fake."

Serena's eyes widened as she looked at Ash, who kept his focus on Abe. She slowly turned to look at the older man as well, surprised to see him smiling. "Is that...true?" she asked, hardly able to believe it. She'd come all this way for a fake rumour?

"Yes...and no." Abe chuckled, looking ahead to his Absol as he continued. "I started the rumour years ago. Most didn't believe it at first, but my Absol likes to wander despite his age. When trainers started seeing a mysterious Absol roaming around the Safari here, they began to wonder. Some even tried to catch it, thinking it could lead them to the stone, although that never worked. That's how this nonsense about a 'rogue' Absol came about."

"Why would you start a rumour about an Absolite?" Serena asked, her wrist stinging from the burn the Key Stone had given her. "Why have trainers coming here to look for something that wasn't here?"

"Well...it _was_ here," Abe answered, gesturing to Serena's Absol. "Your Absol is wearing it."

"So you...you found it first?" Serena exchanged a confused glance with Ash, before turning back to Abe. "I don't understand."

"I found this stone when I was a young trainer myself," Abe said, seemingly watching a memory play before him. "My Absol and I fought hard for it, and worked for Mega Evolution for many years. It was the happiest day in our lives when we accomplished the feat. However, we're both growing older, and we knew there were plenty of young trainers out there who could thrive with the challenge that we loved so much ourselves. We decided to find the trainer and Pokemon who we felt could use the Absolite not only for accomplishing their dreams, but for the using that dream to accomplish something greater."

"You wanted a performer..." Ash smiled, looking to Serena, who still felt a little flabbergasted by this all. "You wanted to find someone who could use Mega Evolution to..."

"Make people and Pokemon smile..." Serena turned to Absol, seeing him staring intently at Abe. "But...we failed. We weren't able to use it." She looked at the ground, feeling her eyes watering. "We weren't able to connect."

She looked up suddenly as Abe chuckled. "Oh you were able to connect to each other, that was quite clear." He gestured to the burn on Serena's wrist, and then pointed to Absol's bow tie, which was also burned. "That is the sign of a fierce connection. Only the closest bond could leave a mark like that. Of course...it requires much more focus if it is to be maintained. You clearly care for each other, but you need to be connected on what drives that bond."

Serena frowned, exchanging a confused look with Absol. "We weren't properly connected?"

"It has nothing to do with how close you are," Abe assured her. "But you aren't yet quite on the same page. Do not worry, though. That will come in time."

"But we'll need to find another Absolite if we're going to be able to train," Serena pointed out, looking back to Abe.

Abe laughed again, and this time Ash joined in.

"Serena," Abe said, smiling and bowing to her. "The Absolite...is yours."

 **Author's Note:**

And Serena has acquired an Absolite!

I'm sure most expected that once the quest came up, but still, it's a pretty big moment. I can't wait to get to the best stuff that this will lead to. As for what led to it...obviously Serena still needs to work on some stuff. I hope the failure makes enough sense for now. It'll be better understood when the success (if there's success) occurs.

As for Meowth...big time breakout by him and his pal Skiddo and their followers. But where are they going? What happened to them? Answers to come next time.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.


	16. Shalour Showdown

**Author's Note:**

And here we are with Chapter 16. A Korrina heavy chapter here, so it's a bit different. Hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 16: Shalour Showdown**

Korrina had been feeling down ever since returning from the IPL match against Laverre University. Sure, they'd returned home with some much needed points in the standings, but one had come from something meaningless. Or rather, one point had come from something that meant Korrina would be dealing with an utterly devastated Pokemon.

As she sat outside on the beach of Shalour City, looking out to the Shalour Gym out on the water, Korrina felt her eyes stinging with tears. She'd been thinking of the Laverre trip every day in the weeks following their return. Not a day went by that she didn't hate Anton more for what he'd done to Vivillon.

Vivillon had been so hopeful. Korrina had been amazed that it had even wanted to see Anton after all that had happened, but when she had seen Vivillon and Gabby, she knew that there had definitely been a bond between it and Anton as well. If it had been so close to his sister, there was no way it didn't have an attachment at least as close with its trainer.

When Korrina and Gabby had made their way back to the Pokemon Centre once Anton had left, though, it had been a tough pill to swallow for all of them. Gabby had told it what had happened, thinking it would be best if it came from her. She had left out some details, trying to make it sound as though Anton simply needed some time, but Korrina had a feeling Vivillon could tell something had been held back. And, it didn't make it any easier for the poor thing to take.

Gabby had wondered about keeping Vivillon with her and trying to force Anton to communicate with it, but she and Korrina had eventually decided that wouldn't be the best. Instead, Korrina had brought it home once more, and had continued working with it to get its strength back. It was work they still both enjoyed, keeping their minds occupied and not allowing the pain of Anton's betrayal, or the fear of the hunters, to halt their lives.

"I wish there was more we could do," Korrina whispered, embracing the sea breeze as it washed over her. "Vivillon is working hard, but it doesn't get excited like it used to. I don't know how to help it."

"Ruru," Lucario murmured from her side, looking concerned as he placed a paw on her arm. They were so connected by now, that Korrina didn't really need to voice her feelings for him to know, but regardless, she felt she needed to say it aloud just to get it out of her head.

She sighed as they sat there another few minutes, eyes drifting towards the forest that had become the source of so many of their problems. Somewhere in there, horrible things had happened. Anton's life had been turned upside down, Vivillon and his Fletchinder had been terribly hurt, and who knew what else. The only good things that seemed to have come from there were Vivillon's and Gabby's Swablu's rescues, which only occurred after they'd been hurt.

 _Elekid was there, too,_ Korrina thought with a smile. It left her face a moment later, though, as she thought of Clemont. She missed him a lot, and she desperately wanted to talk to him. She'd avoided calling him since the IPL match, however, and she'd neglected calling him back when he'd attempted calling _her_. It wasn't right, and she knew that, but she wasn't sure if she could tell him how it had gone with Anton. It was a complete failure, and maybe she could've done something better to make Anton see things clearer. Clemont had figured out that Vivillon might've been Anton's, and Korrina hadn't been able to reunite them. Would Clemont be disappointed in her?

Lucario seemed to sense her distress again, patting her on the shoulder to try to get her out of her depressive state for the moment. She nodded at him, starting to stand up. "You're right, Lucario, we can't just sit here doing nothing."

As sad as things were with Vivillon, Korrina still needed to ensure that it was making the progress it needed to be making. It had moved to staying with her at the gym instead of the Pokemon Centre, but today it was back with Nurse Joy for a checkup on its recovery. Korrina decided she would see how it was going, and then perhaps give Gabby a call to let her know what was going on. At least Anton's sister was invested in how it was doing.

It wasn't too long before Korrina and Lucario had reached the Pokemon Centre, passing by Officer Jenny on the way. She gave the police officer a wave as she drove off towards the forest with her Manectric, doing one of her routine checks for hunter activity. Korrina knew it wasn't likely Officer Jenny or any of the other police officers would find anything new, but it was worth the check. At the very least, it would keep the hunters hesitant about doing anything in the area. _Unless they're getting bolder like Clemont warned me about._

She shook that thought away, though, as she entered the Pokemon Centre. As she approached the front desk, she glanced over to the seats in the lobby, noticing some trainers watching a news report about the appeared they were planning to have the playoffs hosted in Lumiose City, using the Kalos League stadium for the battles, and a brand new theatre which would also hold the next Masterclass Showcase. The report made Korrina a little excited, as she knew that if Shalour could qualify for the playoffs, she'd get to spend some more time with Clemont and her Lumiose friends while she competed, even if they didn't qualify.

"Are you here to check on Vivillon?" Nurse Joy asked as Korrina approached, bringing her attention away from the TV with the report. "It's doing quite well today. Well...physically."

Korrina nodded sadly, understanding what Nurse Joy meant by that. "Well, that's something at least. We won't be able to make it any happier if it's not able to go out more, right?"

"That's true," Nurse Joy responded, smiling. "Well, I've still got a few tests to run, and then I think Vivillon can go. It might be worth giving it a chance to do some battle practice afterwards. I have a feeling that's something that it misses a lot."

Korrina was surprised at that, but she thought of Serena and her progress with Absol. It seemed to have improved greatly once it had been able to participate in more trying activities. Although she wasn't Vivillon's trainer, she did like the idea of giving it a bit of a test. It might even be a way to remind Anton of what they'd done together in the past.

"That sounds like a great idea!" she said, looking to Lucario excitedly. "Maybe we can work on some of our own new strategies with Vivillon, right Lucario?"

"Ruru!"

It was nice to have something to be a bit more excited about, so as Nurse Joy headed back to finish her checkup, Korrina felt much better as she headed towards the phones. She decided she would try to call Gabby, figuring the Laverre Performer would be interested in hearing about Vivillon's progress. It was a good sign if it could get back to battling, and maybe Gabby would be able to let Anton know what was happening.

Korrina dialed the number Gabby had given her for the training facilities at Laverre University. She had expected she would be spending a lot of time there, with the final regular season matches of the IPL coming up. The other times Korrina had called, that had been the case, and when the attendant who had answered heard who Korrina was calling for, they quickly went to get her.

It was only about a minute before Gabby was at the phone, smiling as she looked at Korrina through her screen. "Hey Korrina. And Lucario!" she said with a grin towards both. "Everything okay with Vivillon?"

Korrina nodded. "Yeah, Vivillon's been flying pretty well lately. It's...still sad, but Nurse Joy said it can work on some battle training if it's up to it. That should make it a little happier, don't you think?"

Gabby's eyes had lit up at that. "That's great! Yeah, Vivillon would probably love nothing more than to get back to battling. I bet it'll feel safer about the..." She paused, taking a nervous look around before continuing. "I bet it'll feel safer about the hunters if it gets back in a training routine."

"You're nervous about Raphael?" Korrina asked, narrowing her eyes as Gabby looked behind her once more. "Is he there right now?"

"We're having a team training session," Gabby explained, sighing. "He's working on some training techniques with Anton..."

"Anton's working with him?!" Korrina stared at Gabby in complete shock. "How...how can he even talk to him."

Gabby avoided looking back at Korrina, appearing uncomfortable. "I don't know. If he doesn't believe us about Vivillon being his, maybe he just didn't believe anything. I've talked to Valerie about it, but she's worried about pushing things too far and having Raphael figure out we're on to him. If Anton continues to act normal around him, it doesn't matter that _I_ flinch at everything he does, I guess."

Korrina gave her a sympathetic look, seeing the stress in Gabby's eyes. It must've been scary having to be around Raphael so much without having the opportunity to stop him. "Has Valerie not told the police at least?"

Gabby shrugged. "She trusts Officer Jenny of course, but I think she's worried about some hunters being on the inside. If just one finds out, it'll be really hard to catch them, find their base and save all the Pokemon they have if they know one of them is under suspicion. They'll lay low, get all the Pokemon out and we'll be in a worse position to do anything."

"I guess..." Korrina hated hearing that, and wished it didn't make as much sense as it did. She'd avoided telling Officer Jenny in Shalour about it as well for the same reasons. Just one wrong set of ears hearing the rumour, and too many Pokemon would be in danger. "I still haven't even told Clemont..."

The admission had come out unintentionally, and Korrina blushed as Gabby smirked at her. "You talk about Clemont so much. Are you guys..."

"No...I don't...maybe..." Korrina felt her face heating up, and tried to avoid looking at Lucario, who was staring at her while Gabby giggled. "I just mean...should I tell him? He might need to make preparations in case Raphael tries something when they visit you guys in Laverre City."

"Well he hasn't gone after any students' Pokemon," Gabby pointed out. She considered it a moment more, though, before nodding. "Lumiose needs to know, though. They seem to find out everything. And if they're hosting the playoffs..."

"You don't think Raphael would try to do anything then, do you?" Korrina asked, shocked at the suggestion Gabby seemed to be making.

"I don't know..." Gabby looked nervously over her shoulder again. "It's possible. A lot of powerful Pokemon will be there and if people are distracted by all the excitement, it might be the time to act."

"If you think that, then we should definitely tell the police," Korrina said, clenching her fists at the thought of the hunters ruining the fun of all the teams in the IPL, and trying to hurt the Pokemon there.

"I suggested it to Valerie, but she says it's too early to know what Raphael might be planning. Again, we'd need more proof. Otherwise..." She trailed off again, looking dejected.

"Yeah...he'll know we're on to him." Korrina glared at nothing in particular, staring out the window of the Pokemon Centre.

Gabby seemed to sense the frustration. "I know...it's frustrating, but she's right. We can't screw this up. Raphael has avoided attention for a long time. He's probably done all kinds of things to get out of trouble before. The last thing we want to do is make things worse."

"We still need to have a plan," Korrina argued. "If he is planning something, we can't just sit around and wait for it."

Gabby nodded. "Then you'd better get Clemont and the others on board. If anyone can help us get ready for a fight, it's them."

Korrina was agreeable to that, and a moment later, she and Gabby were saying goodbye. She took a deep breath before she dialed the number for Clemont's gym, hoping he wouldn't be upset with her avoiding him lately. She knew he would understand, though, given that he knew how much time she'd spent with Vivillon and that it was a difficult situation.

Luckily, Clemont was there when she called, and he was the one to pick up. He excitedly put enabled the video once he realized it was Korrina who was calling, and when he appeared on screen, the two of them simply looked at each other a moment, before finally Korrina spoke up.

"I'm sorry I haven't called you..." she said awkwardly. "It's just..."

"It's okay," Clemont said quickly, adjusting his glasses as he leaned forward, looking concerned. "I'm just glad to hear from you again. Are you okay?"

Korrina nodded, smiling at his kindness. "Yeah...it's just been tough since the visit to Laverre."

Clemont looked surprised. "I thought you guys did pretty well there. I heard that Anton even lost his battle. Did you beat him?"

Korrina sighed, feeling shame in having gotten a point for doing nothing against Anton. She hadn't deserved it, and based on the standings, it could be the difference in her team making the playoffs over Clemont's. It was embarrassing letting him know. "He forfeited the match..."

Not surprisingly, Clemont looked shocked at the news, before tilting his head curiously. "Was something wrong? Is that why you seem so upset?"

Korrina nodded, managing to lift her gaze and look Clemont in the eyes. "After the performances and contest battles finished up, I took Vivillon out for some flying practice. Gabby saw us, and...well, she recognized Vivillon, and Vivillon recognized her, too."

Clemont still looked confused, as though unsure if this was bad or good, given the history. Korrina clarified. "They were happy to see each other. Gabby hadn't seen Vivillon since she was a little kid, and Vivillon clearly adored her back then, and seemed to be ecstatic to see her. It was later...at the battlefield...that was when things went bad."

Clemont seemed to realize the problem then. "Anton..."

Korrina nodded again. "Vivillon wanted to see him again, but we left it at the Pokemon Centre just to keep it safe from the battles going on. Anton got mad when Gabby told him. He stormed off after claiming that there was no way Vivillon was his."

"No way..." Clemont looked stunned, eyes drifting down as he processed what Korrina had told him. "He abandoned Vivillon...again?"

"Vivillon's been pretty down ever since," Korrina continued, looking over to Lucario, who was looking towards Nurse Joy's desk in concern. "Nurse Joy says it can begin battle training again, though, so hopefully that can cheer it up."

Clemont nodded, smiling at that bit of good news. "I guess you'll need to take over its training in the meantime. At least it's got a couple of great partners to help it," he said, smiling at Lucario, and then returning his gaze to her.

Korrina smiled at that, feeling her cheeks heat up like earlier. "You're the best, Clemont." He seemed a little embarrassed by the praise, and Korrina was instantly relieved that she'd called him. She'd needed to talk to him, and not just because... She shook her head, remembering what she needed to tell him. "Clemont...there's something else I need to tell you."

He seemed to sense her urgency, leaning forward expectantly. "What is it?"

While Korrina was embarrassed she hadn't told Clemont earlier, she was relieved to be able to get it all out now. And while he had every reason to be upset she hadn't informed him earlier, he wasn't. Instead, he simply let her tell the story, and waited until she had finished before he commented.

"So Valerie and Gabby are sure Raphael is involved?" he asked, eyes serious as he looked back at Korrina. "And Gabby expects he might be planning something in regards to the IPL playoffs?"

"It's just something she wondered?" Korrina admitted, shrugging. "But, it would make sense. They have been more bold lately. Or even if it was a stealth operation, people might be distracted with everything going on with performances and battles all over the place."

Clemont nodded, looking down as though considering something. "Well if they're that concerned about ensuring it doesn't get out that they're suspicious of Raphael, I won't say anything to Officer Jenny. I'll have to tell Ash and the others, though. If we see anything in our next IPL match, we'll have to act."

"Of course," Korrina said, feeling that was logical enough. "But...do you know of anything you can do to protect the city if they did try something during the playoffs?"

Clemont thought for a moment. "There is one thing," he said, adjusting his glasses as he looked behind him, a robotic voice calling out something. "Clembot..."

"Is something wrong?" Korrina asked curiously, watching as Clemont's robot substitute gym leader emerged behind him, apparently cleaning around the gym.

Clemont shook his head, turning back to Korrina and smiling. "No...I think I have an idea."

Korrina's eyes lit up in excitement at that as she and Lucario leaned forward to hear. "Really? What can you do?"

Clemont adjusted his glasses, the lights reflecting off of them as he smirked. "Let's just say the future is now, thanks to science!"

* * *

Meowth woke up with the worst headache he'd ever had. The pain alone was terrible, but he also felt like it was filled with fog and was weighed down by bricks. It was only made worse as he opened his eyes to sunlight shining on to his face, and the sound of Wobbuffet suddenly crying out as he so often did.

It took a couple of minutes for Meowth to adjust to his surroundings, realizing he seemed to be in some makeshift den, lying on some leaves. Outside, all he could see was a forest and what appeared to be the Wetlands beyond it. From what he could tell, he and Wobbuffet were very high up, as though they were on a mountain or cliff.

He groggily sat up, slowly turning his head to look into the den they were in. It wasn't much, clearly just inhabited out of necessity for a place to rest. However, it seemed to have enough space for Meowth's makeshift bed, along with another two. One must've been for Wobbuffet, but Meowth didn't know who inhabited the third.

That question was answered a moment later as a familiar bleating sound entered his ears, and then Skiddo emerged at the edge of the den, carrying some berries. Meowth was relieved to see him, along with Wobbuffet, and he was grateful as the Mount Pokemon gave him an Oran Berry to eat, while Wobbuffet sat down to join them.

"So guys, I'm a little hazy on da details," Meowth said, rubbing his head as he and the other two ate. He could barely remember what had happened. He knew they'd been trying to escape the hunters compound, but there were just flashes of the hallways and the other Pokemon in his head. After that, it was all blank. "What happened?"

"Wobbaaa FET!" Wobbuffet said, rubbing his own head, appearing as confused as Meowth. "Wobba."

Meowth sighed, looking to Skiddo, who seemed troubled, avoiding eye contact. "How about you, pal? Remember anything?"

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo answered nervously, bowing his head. He no longer appeared interested in eating his berries. "Doo-oo-oo."

Meowth looked at him sympathetically, leaning over to give him a pat on the back. "It's all right, pal. We're gonna get through dis. I just gotta know what happened if we're gonna do somethin' about it." He tried again to remember, but the best he could do was think of a falling sensation which he supposed had something to do with the amnesia.

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo relented, sighing as he looked to Meowth. "Doo-oo-oo." He looked like he was about to deliver some bad news, and Meowth braced himself for it, just hoping that the Jessie and James' Pokemon that had been with them during the escape attempt weren't hurt.

When Skiddo finished, Meowth started to piece together some of the flashes in his head, and the final thoughts he seemed to have from before blacking out seemed to make a little more sense. However, the dread of it all nearly overwhelmed him. He was grateful that Wobbuffet and Skiddo were there, because otherwise, he wasn't so sure he would have the nerve to leave the cave. He couldn't believe that somehow Skiddo and Wobbuffet had managed to get him there.

"So you're saying da hunters have der base set up in a mountain nearby here?" Meowth asked, looking to Skiddo for clarification. The Mount Pokemon nodded nervously, gesturing with his head that it was in the opposite direction of the Wetlands on the other side of the cliff they were currently in. "So when we got through dat exit, we actually fell right off. I guess dey usually have helicopters or something go out of der."

Skiddo nodded, but also added some additional information. "Doo-oo-oo!"

"So it was a waterfall, huh?" Meowth nodded, remembering the suffocating feeling as he'd held his breath while the water had surrounded him. The crash at the bottom must've been what knocked him out. "So when we landed, der was hunters already der?"

"Wobba!" Wobbuffet answered this time. "Wobbaaa!"

"Doo-oo-oo!"

Meowth stared at them in shock. "We totally failed. All of de Pokemon dat helped us got caught again?!" Meowth knew he was a member of a criminal organization, but he couldn't help but feel awful for those Pokemon. They were innocent. And they had helped them. _And Inkay, Gourgeist, Seviper, Yamask...they're all trapped again...along with all the others._

"Wob..." Wobbuffet looked devastated, and Meowth could see Skiddo felt no better.

"So you managed to come to, Wobbuffet," Meowth asked, looking to the Patient Pokemon. "And you got me out of der with Skiddo?"

"Wobbaaa," Wobbuffet answered, nodding.

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo added, sounding ashamed.

"Don't be sorry," Meowth told him, wanting his new friend to know how helpful he'd been. "Ya couldn't have done anything else. It's amazing any of us got out. We'd still be der if it wasn't for you."

"Doo-oo-oo!"

Meowth grinned at that, before looking back outside the cave, feeling a little uncertain. "So if dey was just roundin' up the Pokemon dat fell, it's possible dey didn't even think of us." He knew they would eventually think of them if they hadn't right away, but he wanted Wobbuffet and Skiddo to be a little less worried. At the very least, they'd likely managed to get away because of all the commotion, and now they at least had some bit of safety. "If we can get to some people, we can show where da base is."

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo then said, shaking his head, looking nervous as he also glanced outside.

"You saw them fleeing." _I guess they did think of us,_ Meowth realized. Even if they didn't know he could talk, they would've probably guessed that some beaten up looking Pokemon could've drawn the attention of people and their base wouldn't have been safe. At least he did know one thing. "Well, we still have some useful information. We know dey got lots of Pokemon with dem, and some of de experiments der workin' on."

"Doo-oo-oo!"

"Wobba!"

"Right," Meowth said, nodding. "And dey plan to attack de schools during de IPL playoffs."

* * *

Korrina was feeling much better after her talks with Gabby and Clemont, and knowing that Vivillon was going to get a chance to increase its training. It was a nice change after feeling so down about things since Anton's reaction to being told about Vivillon. While she knew Vivillon would still be upset, she was sure the training would help, and she was glad she'd made some plans with Clemont on what to do about Raphael.

 _I just hope his plan works,_ Korrina thought, smiling as she thought of Clemont's excitement over his inventions. _If anyone can pull it off, it's Clemont._

As she continued to wait for Nurse Joy to finish up with her appointments and whatever else she needed to do with Vivillon, Korrina decided to head outside and do a few training exercises with Lucario. If they were going to be working with Vivillon, they would need to start loosening up now.

"Ready, Lucario?" Korrina asked as they stepped outside, heading over to the training field next to the Pokemon Centre. "I want to work on your Metal Sound and Aura Sphere combo, okay? We need to make it just a little bit quicker when you transition into Aura Sphere."

"Ruru!" Lucario said, nodding in agreement as he followed her.

Korrina grinned, glad to see her partner Pokemon's eagerness echoing her own. "All right, so what we need to do is-"

"Stop right there, in the name of the law!"

Korrina snapped her head around as soon as she heard the yell, instantly recognizing Officer Jenny's voice. A moment later, she heard the sirens, quickly approaching the Pokemon Centre. She quickly exchanged a nod with Lucario, and the two of them rushed towards the front, darting around a few trainers who had come outside upon hearing the commotion.

"Manectric, Thunder Fang!"

Korrina jumped back, not having realized how close the culprit was, watching as he raced along the road on a motorcycle. Unfortunately for him, he was yanked off as Officer Jenny's Manectric grabbed him from behind, throwing him hard to the ground while his motorcycle crashed into a tree up ahead.

"Gahhh!" the man yelled, wincing from the electrical attack and scrambling back. He fumbled for a pokeball at his belt, dropping something out of a bag he held as he did so. "Swampert, go!"

Korrina heard gasps behind her as the fierce water and ground type emerged in front of them, staring down Officer Jenny as she came to a stop in her own vehicle, hopping out to stand behind her Manectric. "Get ready, Lucario," she whispered, quickly realizing what this was. _A hunter._

"Sir, you need to stand down immediately!" Officer Jenny ordered, glaring at the man. "Backup is on their way now. It's in your best interest to cooperate!"

"I ain't going down easy, lady," the hunter snarled, smirking as he looked to Manectric. "Swampert, take it down with Mud Shot!"

"Swaaamp!" Swampert roared out, slamming its feet on the ground and then unleashing a barrage of mudballs towards a stunned Manectric. Korrina's eyes widened as the ground type attack exploded against the electric type. As the dust settled, Manectric was down for the count from the single attack, and the crowd gathered began to murmur nervously as Officer Jenny stared ahead in shock.

The hunter laughed. "Now, if you'll excuse-"

"Hold up!"

"Ru!"

The hunter looked just a little uncomfortable as Korrina stepped out in front of him and his Swampert, she and Lucario staring him down confidently. She supposed there was a decent chance he knew she was the gym leader here in Shalour, but what likely made him hesitate was the Key Stone on her wrist. That would make most trainers hesitate. She saw him glancing at his bag a moment, before glaring at her.

"You ain't stopping me, kid. Go on and run home!" He bared his teeth at her, like some kind of snarling Pokemon.

"Only when Officer Jenny has you in handcuffs!" Korrina snapped back, hearing Jenny urging caution behind her, while the crowd out front of the Pokemon Centre was murmuring in excitement. Korrina could just see the door opening as Nurse Joy was emerging to see what was going on.

"Like that's happening!" the hunter said sarcastically. "Swampert, Hydro Pump!"

"Deflect with Bone Rush!" Korrina ordered confidently.

"Swaaamp!"

"Ru!"

Lucario fared much better than Manectric, forming a blue bone of light out in front of him and spinning it like a fan in super speed while the massive jet of water rushed towards him. The Hydrop Pump was easily dispersed as it struck, dealing no damage as Korrina's fierce fight stared Swampert down, ready for the next attack.

"Not bad..." the hunter muttered, looking more uncomfortable. "How about a-"

"VillllOOONNN!"

Korrina's eyes widened as Swampert was slammed into suddenly, the Mud Fish Pokemon stumbling to the side as a flying purple shape hovered a few feet away from it. "Vivillon?!" she called out in surprise, the bug and flying type looking back at her, determination in its eyes.

It didn't appear ready to stop there, either, instantly darting forward again, a white aura surrounding it as it slammed hard into Swampert once more, the Mud Fish Pokemon falling over this time, the hunter yelling at it for it to get up.

"Villon!" Vivillon then cried out again, flapping its wings hard as it flew back a few feet, aiming carefully as Swampert struggled to rise. "Vivillon!"

Korrina was stunned by the ferocity of the attack, the gust of wind generated by Vivillon's flapping wings sending Swampert flying into the air, soaring over the hunter and crashing into the tree just where his motorcycle had hit. It was fairly clear that Swampert wouldn't be rising from that, and the hunter seemed almost too stunned to do anything about it.

Fortunately, Vivillon was still sharp, staring down the hunter right away and sending what appeared to be an electrical net at it, wrapping him and shocking him instantly. "Gahhh!" he cried out, dropping to the ground and rolling around, wincing as he was zapped. It only died away once Officer Jenny had reached him, informing him he was under arrest for Pokemon trafficking and putting him in handcuffs.

Korrina quickly headed over to the two of them, knowing this was the perfect chance to get some information. "What was he doing here?" she asked Officer Jenny. "Did you catch him in the act?"

"I spotted him in the area, cleaning up what appeared to be a hidden stash of some items the hunters had. I confronted him when I noticed he had that bag with him, which must be filled with some of the things they had in the area." Officer Jenny glared at the man. "It'll have to go into evidence, but I'd much prefer to burn it."

The hunter laughed at that, baring his teeth again. "That's valuable merchandise from the boss. Don't want to be wasting it like that..."

"Valuable?" Korrina narrowed her eyes, before bending down to pick up the bag.

"Careful..." Officer Jenny warned quickly. "We don't know what's in there."

Korrina listened to her warning, cautiously peering into the bag as she held it out in front of her, sensing Lucario looking into it from her side. He immediately tensed up, and she knew why. "They're...Mega Stones."

Officer Jenny stared at her in shock, eyes widening as Korrna showed her. "What...what's wrong with them?" she asked, looking to Lucario's, which looked much different.

"I don't know," Korrina said honestly, looking to the smirking hunter. "What did you do to them? Why are they so black and...dull?"

"Ru..." Lucario growled threateningly in addition to the question.

"Like I said..." the hunter told her, smirking as he glanced behind him at some more police approaching. "It's valuable merchandise."

It didn't appear they would be getting any more information from him now, as he refused to say anything more than that and laugh. Korrina had to simply watch in frustration as Officer Jenny and the police got him into a car and sent off to the police station before getting some quick eye witness accounts from the people there.

As Korrina stared at the departing police in frustration, she noticed Vivillon flying down to her, resting atop her head, looking content. "You were pretty incredible out there, Vivillon," Korrina told it, smiling. "I guess you heard you get to go back to battling training, huh? Not that you seem to need it!"

"Villon!" Vivillon responded happily, making Korrina smile again. It clearly seemed to feel much better, clearly proud to have had the chance to show off some of its strength.

"You're going to be a great training partner for Lucario and me," Korrina said. "And I bet you'll show...everyone just how strong you are."

Vivillon nodded at that, seemingly understanding what Korrina was getting at. She was sure Anton would see sense eventually. How could he not, with how great Vivillon was. Besides, there was something more crucial to deal with. The people who had hurt Vivillon were still out there, and they were clearly planning something strange.

"I wonder what was up with those stones..." Korrina muttered, looking to Lucario, who seemed to have had a thought.

"Ruru!" he growled out, looking to her pocket. "Ruru!"

Korrina frowned at him curiously, but at further insistence, she put her hand into her pocket, pulling out what was in it. It was the Lucarionite she'd found in the forest way back when she'd found Vivillon. "What is it?" she asked, looking confused. "It's just..."

Her eyes widened, and she stared at the stone more closely. It wasn't quite like the stones in the hunter's bag, but she could just see the discolouration at the edges. If she didn't know better, she'd think it was altered somehow.

"Why would they be changing Mega Stones?" she asked, looking to Lucario, and then Vivillon. "What on earth are they planning?"

 **Author's Note:**

Hopefully you're not frustrated with no Ash and Serena this chapter, especially given last chapter's events, but obviously some pretty key stuff here. Hunter action is picking up, and it looks like Meowth's escape was only semi successful. Meanwhile, Korrina's found something pretty strange...what might these hunters be up to...

Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.


	17. Laverre University

**Author's Note:**

Hi all, sorry for the delay between chapters, but I wanted to keep these next three chapters nice and close. You can expect 18 and 19 in the next couple days.

Other than that, this one's a bit different. Back to Serena and Ash though, so there's that. Hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 17: Laverre University**

Laverre City was one of the most beautiful cities in all of Kalos in Serena's opinion. While Lumiose City was big and grand with Prism Tower at its centre, Laverre was calm and serene, with little rivers and bridges throughout and trees that made it seem as though it was always Autumn. It was almost hard to believe that she and her Lumiose teammates were coming here for a fierce weekend of battling and performing to fight their way into the playoffs.

Next to her, Ash was looking out the window of their bus in excitement as well. He'd been training hard for this final match, especially after they'd arrived back from Kiloude City. She couldn't blame him, though, having worked just as hard. It was a crucial match, and despite Laverre already having clinched their spot in the IPL playoffs, it wouldn't be easy to beat the likes of Gabby and Anton.

"I'm so psyched to battle Anton!" Ash said after sitting back in his seat, the bus turning around a corner as it approached the Pokemon Centre. "I don't know if Greninja and I have figured out everything we wanted to when we went to Alola, but we've worked pretty hard. I know we can give Anton and Scizor a much better challenge this time!"

Serena was impressed with Ash's confidence, despite his struggles in learning more about the mysteries with Greninja. It wasn't so easy for her. She'd been trying to get Mega Evolution to work with Absol every day since they'd gotten the Absolite, Ash and Trevor having loaned her their Key Stones whenever she needed them, but it never seemed to be any different. If anything, it got worse sometimes, either with the Key Stone burning her wrist more or, in what she considered a worst case scenario, nothing happening at all. That always happened when she and Absol were most frustrated, though, and she supposed that was part of it.

"Still wondering what to do with Absol?" Ash gave her a sympathetic look. "You'll figure it out. Abe trusted that you would. He could see how close you two were."

Serena nodded, smiling as she looked back at him. "I know...I just wish we could've had it ready for the match with Laverre. If Absol could Mega Evolve in my performance against Gabby..."

Ash grinned at that, looking to Pikachu confidently. "Well, if you can't do it tomorrow, you'll be able to do it in the playoffs. It'll be even better then!"

Serena appreciated his confidence in her, as well as all her other friends. They'd all been so excited for her having found the Absolite, and even more so after hearing about Abe's quest. She was sure they had been hoping she'd be able to demonstrate a successful Mega Evolution, but they'd been extremely supportive nonetheless. Trevor had mentioned he'd struggled with his Charizard's Mega Evolution as well, so that had also been reassuring to hear.

 _I still wish I could do it now, though,_ Serena couldn't help but think. She could imagine the performances she could do with Absol soaring through the air on the wings formed by Mega Evolution. Braixen could fly on his back, using dazzling fire attacks, or Pancham could create pillars with Stone Edge for Absol to fly through. Popplio could almost fly alongside him with Aqua Jet, or Sylveon could cover him in a pink mist from Fairy Wind. There would be so many options if they could just pull it off.

There wasn't much more time to think on the issue at the moment, though, as their bus was pulling in front of the Pokemon Centre, where Serena could see the assembled Laverre students. She immediately sensed Ash tensing up as he looked out the window, while Clemont in the seat in front did the same. Serena knew why, noticing the coach who was standing behind his students, along with Valerie.

"I wish we could take care of him right away..." Ash muttered, Pikachu's cheeks sparking as he glared outside as well.

Serena put her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "I feel the same, Ash, but remember what Clemont told us. Korrina and Gabby don't want to risk the other hunters managing to get all their imprisoned Pokemon out. If we get Raphael arrested now, it could hurt a lot of Pokemon."

Clemont turned back, seeming as though he was calming himself down. "She's right, Ash. I want to do something, too, but it's too risky right now. We'll get our chance soon."

Ash nodded, taking a deep breath as he sat back down while the bus came to a complete stop, the engine turning off. "Yeah, I get it. Is your plan still working out, Clemont?"

Clemont smirked, adjusting his glasses. "Of course! Don't forget, the future-"

"Can you give this new invention of yours a proper name this time?"

"Bonnie!"

Serena giggled as Clemont's little sister interrupted, leaning over the seat in front of Clemont's to look at him in exasperation. "No girl is going to take care of you if you can't give your inventions a proper name."

"I don't know why Professor Sycamore let's her come on these things..." Clemont muttered as said professor called for the team to begin heading out, asking for Ash and Dawn to lead the way.

As they exited, Serena was glad to see Ash and the rest of the team managing to hide their new understanding of Raphael, with only a couple glares, that could easily have been misinterpreted as just some bad sportsmanship. Fortunately, Raphael didn't seem to notice, appearing bored and uninterested in being there anyway. He even left shortly after Sycamore and the coaches had greeted him and Valerie.

As Raphael disappeared, Ash and Dawn headed forward to shake hands with Anton and Gabby, the latter quickly looking excitedly to Serena as the formal greeting was finished. Serena was a little surprised by that, but smiled as Gabby headed over to greet her. It appeared the Laverre group was a little less hostile this time, with Tierno and Jimmy, the resident Laverre dance enthusiast, vowing to have a good dance-off in their next match, and Dawn and Shauna having a reasonably friendly chat with Casey of the Performance Team. Anton and his Battle Team, along with Lisa, who'd performed against Shauna last time, were immediately leaving, however.

"Serena! How are you?" Serena returned her focus to Gabby as the other performer reached her, looking surprisingly relieved to see her. "I've gotta say, it's good to see you."

"I'm pretty good, thanks," Serena said, a little cautiously. She knew she could trust Gabby since Korrina did, but she was still a bit of an odd case. Her fierce competitiveness had been intimidating in their last match, and Serena still wasn't sure what to think of her ideas on performing. She'd figured the friendliness was a bit of an act, but this seemed somewhat different.. "Um...how are you?"

Gabby seemed to sense Serena's uneasiness, sighing as she looked back at the other students. "I'd be better if we could talk. How about I show you around Laverre a bit, okay?"

"Oh...well...I'll need to-"

"Hey Ash!" Gabby suddenly called out, getting the raven-haired trainer's attention as he was talking to Clemont. "Serena and I are heading out. Just in case Professor Sycamore needs her."

"Cool, have fun!" Ash told them, waving. "I'm planning on doing some training. See you later, Serena!"

Serena gave an awkward wave herself, before Gabby pulled her away. She wasn't quite sure what this was about, but decided there was no point fighting it. Perhaps Gabby just wanted to talk about Absol, given that when she was in Lumiose for the first IPL match, she'd visited while Serena was caring for the Disaster Pokemon and mentioned her own Swablu, now Altaria, had come to her in a similar state.

After the two girls had walked a few minutes, heading over a bridge and in the direction of what Serena was sure looked like the Laverre City Gym, Gabby finally spoke up again. "So, I guess Korrina's told Clemont about...everything?" Her tone was a little more serious now, which Serena actually appreciated.

"She did," Serena said carefully, looking to the other girl curiously. "Is it true...about Anton's Vivillon, and Raphael...and...all of it?"

Gabby sighed, gesturing to a bench nearby and sitting down. "It's all true," she said, burying her face in her hands a moment, before looking back to Serena. "Honestly, I can deal with Raphael. He's an enemy I can fight eventually. Anton, though...how do you deal with _that_?"

Serena wasn't sure what she was supposed to say in response. She wasn't exactly experienced in dealing with frustrating brothers. "I...I don't know. Is he really convinced that Vivillon isn't his? Even though you saw it and you recognized each other?"

"I think Anton just doesn't want to think about it," Gabby muttered, standing up as though frustrated already with sitting down. Serena followed as she hurriedly walked away. "The day he lost his Shalour gym battle and abandoned his Pokemon, he lost more than just them. He'll probably never be the same." She fiddled with the bow in her hair, looking to Serena as she tried to settle down. "He can barely acknowledge those Pokemon existed, and when he does, it's someone else's fault they're gone."

"It might've been a lot for him to take in all at once," Serena suggested, not sure if she was helping, but hoping Gabby understood what she was trying to say. "If you were telling him about Raphael at the same time...well, that would be a lot to take."

"I learned it all in a short time as well, and I didn't go running off into the forest," Gabby muttered, appearing dismissive of the idea.

Serena tried to continue, though. "Gabby...it's different for Anton, though. He might blame others for what happened, but he almost surely blames himself. To know that he's been spending all this time with a man who's part of the group that likely hurt his Pokemon and that he never even figured it out...that might make the feeling even worse. It's like knowing he could've saved Vivillon all along and missed the chance to save it."

She jumped in surprise as Gabby chuckled a little at that, before responding. "You just have to be a good person about this, don't you?" She sighed again, nodding after a moment. "You might be right, but it's still extremely frustrating. We've got this big problem to deal with and it's not like Vivillon's the only Pokemon of Anton's that went missing. But instead of helping, Anton's pushing it all out of his mind. He's even training with Raphael!"

That certainly surprised Serena. If she had been given any hint about someone she knew being the one that had hurt Absol, she would've done something for sure. _Or would I?_ She frowned, realizing that perhaps she did know who hurt Absol, even if not directly. For all she knew, maybe it was Raphael who had hurt Absol most of all. And she wasn't doing anything now, because she had to bide her time.

"Are you sure Anton's dismissed everything?" Serena asked, pausing as Gabby walked a few steps ahead. "About Vivillon, Raphael...all of it?"

Gabby looked confused by the question, before throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "Why do you and Valerie bend over backwards to defend him. Even Korrina's not too hard on him, and he's insulted her and her grandfather over and over again."

"I was just-"

"I know, I know," Gabby shrugged, continuing to walk, forcing Serena to rush to catch up. They were outside a location familiar to Serena now, and she couldn't help but stare at the famous fashion store that Valerie owned. Gabby noticed her staring. "You know...Anton got me an outfit here when I got into Laverre University. Despite everything...I guess there's still something of the old him still there."

Serena was unable to hide her surprise, not imagining Anton of all people to have gotten anything from Valerie. More so due to the fact that she was a Gym Leader than anything else, though. "That's nice. Is it for performances?"

Gabby nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, it matches Altaria perfectly. I guess you'll see it tomorrow." She turned to Serena at that, raising an eyebrow. "Speaking of that...I've gotta get Valerie to get you something good for matching with Absol. Korrina mentioned that you headed off to find a Mega Stone for him?"

Serena bit her lip nervously at that, a little bothered that Gabby knew about that. Not that it mattered much since they hadn't perfected it, but it could've made for a surprising move in a performance against her. "Ash and I went to Kiloude City and I got it there. I don't have a Key Stone, though...and we haven't been able to succeed with it when I've borrowed Ash's or Trevor's."

"That's not too surprising," Gabby said simply, looking like she'd expected that. "Let me guess...the Key Stone burned your wrist when you tried it?"

"How'd you know that?"

Gabby smirked, but didn't answer right away, continuing to walk and leaving Valerie's fashion store behind them. "Anton figured out Mega Evolution with his Scizor pretty quickly, but I think the final result is a lot stronger if the trainer and Pokemon struggle for it." She adjusted the bow in her hair again. "It's how a strong bond is developed in the first place anyway."

"It just doesn't make much sense to me," Serena admitted. "I love Absol, and I know he feels the same, but...for some reason the connection fails. Abe, the man who gave me the Absolite, says we need to be connected on what drives our bond, but...I don't know what he means. I thought we both wanted to perform and make people and Pokemon happy, but it doesn't work."

Gabby shrugged, stopping as they came to a small bridge and she leaned against the edge of it, looking over the small river. "Absol's got a complicated past, right? You can't expect it to be as simple as that. My Altaria gave me struggles, too. It's just part of coming to terms with what's happened, and what you do to move on."

Serena frowned at that, remembering Gabby's words way back about using performing as a way to forget the past. "I think Absol and I have a different approach to things."

"Maybe," Gabby admitted, laughing lightly as she looked to Serena. "Maybe we need to learn to be more like you two," she added, apparently realizing what Serena was thinking about. "It still applies, though. Just think about it."

"I will," Serena told her, smiling back as Gabby grinned. "But it might lead to you losing!"

"We'll see!"

* * *

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Rockruff, counter with Bite!"

Ash pumped his fist excitedly as he watched the two Pokemon in front of him, Pikachu rushing along the forest clearing they'd found for training and lashing out with his glowing tail. Rockruff meanwhile, was bracing himself for impact, baring his fangs and preparing to latch his jaws onto his opponent. Each managed to land their attacks, though, with Pikachu striking from above and being caught by Rockruff just in time. Unfortunately for the latter, Pikachu was too strong, however, with Bite soon being overwhelmed by the force of Iron Tail and forcing the Puppy Pokemon to let go and stumbled backwards.

"Ruff!" he barked out happily, panting tiredly from the exchange.

"You did a great job, Rockruff!" Ash told him, happy with the rock type's progress. It wasn't as though Rockruff was at Pikachu's level just yet, but he definitely couldn't have taken that Iron Tail standing up a few weeks back. His stamina had been improving greatly.

"Ruff!" the Puppy Pokemon barked again in response, wagging his tail as Pikachu headed over to congratulate him.

As the two of them had their rest, Ash looked over to where Hawlucha was working with Riolu, the latter trying to increase the accuracy of his Focus Blast. It was still tough for him, but Riolu never let it bother him too much. And, with Hawlucha at his side, the Emanation Pokemon didn't ever seem to lack for a congratulatory pat on the back for his efforts.

Deciding to leave them to it, Ash then turned to where Greninja and Decidueye were waiting, each having been watching Pikachu and Rockruff's sparring match. Ash grinned as they each locked eyes with him, both apparently ready to start on their own. Ash couldn't blame them, excited to see what they could do as well. With Greninja set to battle Anton's Scizor in their upcoming match, Ash wanted him as ready as ever, and he felt Decidueye would be a perfect sparring partner with the progress he'd made.

"All right, you two, let's see what you've got!" Ash said, each of his Pokemon leaping out to opposite sides of the clearing. He chuckled, seeing each tensed up and ready to attack immediately. "Don't go too hard on each other," he added quickly, hoping they understood it was just a training match. "We'll have plenty of chances for real battles soon enough."

"Gren!"

"Dooo! Sidueyeee!"

With their battle cries made, Ash gave them their commands. "Greninja, use Night Slash! Decidueye, counter with Leaf Blade!"

"Pika!"

"Ruff!"

"Lucha!"

"Ru!"

"Whoa!"

Ash and the other Pokemon were all stunned by the speed the two fighters exhibited, their starting points in the clearing left in clouds of dust as they met one another at the centre. In Greninja's hands were two purple blades, while Decidueye held green ones in his. The clash of their attacks shook the clearing, with each blade crossed over the other. That lasted only a moment, though, as within seconds, they were in what appeared to be a mighty sword fight.

Ash might've thought the two were over doing it, but he couldn't bring himself to stop it, amazed by the speed and strength the two displayed. Decidueye in particular was impressing him, considering few could match Greninja's speed. At one point, the Ninja Pokemon brought up an arm to slash at Decidueye's side with one of his blades, the Arrow Quill Pokemon ducking under it and blocking with his own, before stabbing forward with his other blade, forcing Greninja to roll back and hold a blade up to block. In response, Greninja, leaped into the air, unleashing an assault from above, forcing Decidueye to roll forward and leap up himself, using his wings to propel himself higher and engage Greninja as he descended to the ground.

There was no need to give another order until both Pokemon came to a stop, each kneeling down at their respective starting points, panting with exhaustion from their sparring. Ash grinned, exchanging a look with Pikachu who looked equally impressed. "Wow you guys! That was so awesome!"

Greninja was the first to manage to get to his feet again, with Decidueye scrambling up a moment later. "Gren greninja!" the Ninja Pokemon said, nodding to the grass and ghost type, who nodded back.

"Did you enjoy sparring with Decidueye, Greninja?" Ash asked, his fierce fighter nodding in response, looking pleased. "That's great! You should both be able to get even faster by training with each other. This should be good for handling a speedy opponent like Anton's Scizor."

"Gren!" Greninja nodded in response, looking more fired up at the mention of their rival and his Pokemon.

"We're going to have to work harder, though," Ash said, looking to all the others as well. "If we're going to get into the playoffs, we need to make sure we're ready for anything. Anton knows how to get the best out of his Pokemon, and can use speed and raw power to win. We need to do the same if-"

"You don't actually think you can beat me, do you?"

Ash turned in surprise at the voice. He almost thought he'd imagined it, until he saw Anton emerging from the shadows of the forest, looking bored as he surveyed the clearing. The only hint of any emotion was when his gaze passed over Decidueye and Rockruff and he appeared slightly interested.

"Of course we can!" Ash said challengingly, holding up his fist in excitement. "We've gotten way better since last time. We've even done some special training in Alola."

Anton's gaze locked on to Ash. At least, Ash assumed it did, not really knowing since Anton had his sunglasses on as usual. "Alola?"

"Yeah. It's got beaches and these things called Trials instead of a gym challenge, and-"

"I know what Alola is," Anton interrupted dismissively. "Why were you there?"

"Hala, one of the teachers at Melemele University, thought he could help me with my Greninja. We didn't really figure too much out about his form, but we got to work against Z-Moves and train against his super strong Crabominable!" Ash couldn't hide his excitement, despite Anton's apparent lack of it.

Anton did seem slightly interested, though. "Is that how you got a Decidueye? And the Rockruff?"

"Rockruff followed me on the plane here," Ash admitted with a laugh, Rockruff looking embarrassed as well. "But Decidueye I got in a class at school. Don't you guys have a class where you get a starter Pokemon and need to train it?"

Anton stared at him in shock, even raising his sunglasses up a moment to peer at him. "You actually trained one of those weak Pokemon into..." He didn't finish, turning his gaze back to Decidueye a moment, before lowering his sunglasses back down and shrugging. "Whatever."

Ash frowned. "What do you mean?"

Anton didn't answer a moment, simply surveying the clearing, his gaze pausing on each of Ash's Pokemon. "The Riolu...it's from school, too?"

"I thought you didn't care...?" It wasn't a sarcastic reply. Ash was just dumbfounded by Anton's behaviour.

"I take it you'll be my opponent this weekend. I might as well see more about what I'm up against." Anton didn't sound quite as calm as usual, and Ash almost got the feeling the Laverre student had been looking for him...and not because he wanted to 'see what he was up against'.

He played along, though, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could get Anton to open up a bit. "Serena and I got Riolu from an egg for our Breeding class. Once the exam was finished, she thought I should continue with its training. He's still young, but he's been getting pretty strong."

Anton nodded, although he didn't seem to realize it, just watching as Riolu and Hawlucha resumed their training together. "It looks...decent. When I battled Korrina's Riolu way back, it looked a bit like this one."

"Don't most Riolu look the same?" Ash asked, chuckling as his other Pokemon began to continue their sparring. He was glad Decidueye and Greninja didn't go all out as they'd done before.

"You can always tell the little differences," Anton said, adjusting his sunglasses a bit. "I'm sure even you know that."

"I guess so." Ash waited a moment, sensing things getting awkward quickly, before speaking up again. "What is it about my Riolu that reminds you of what Korrina's was like?"

Anton shrugged, appearing uncomfortable again. "I don't know. Not like she's a great trainer." Ash didn't answer, part of him thinking Anton was hoping for a reaction just to end the conversation. When he didn't get one, he continued. "It just...looks like it has the drive. It won't..."

"It won't give up!" Ash finished, laughing as he looked to Riolu, who was firing off another Focus Blast, hitting a tree a few feet ahead and getting a big cheer from Hawlucha. "Great job, Riolu!" Ash called out, the Emanation Pokemon turning proudly to him, before getting right back to work.

"I guess not," Anton agreed, giving a short nod.

There was another silence, Anton now appearing to watch, but not really paying attention to the sparring Pokemon in the clearing. Ash broke the silence once more, deciding he'd at least try to see if he could get Anton to talk about the hunters. They were a common enemy, no matter what Anton thought of Ash and his friends. And, they might need to help one another in the future.

"I...uh...met your dad a few weeks ago. He was researching bug types in the forest where we found a Pokemon hunter location." Ash watched Anton carefully, seeing the other boy tensing up.

"The news got back to me," Anton answered after a moment. "Your friend Clemont told Korrina, who told my sister...always a bunch of gossip going around." He sighed, briefly looking in Ash's direction, before turning away again. "You want to talk about my Vivillon."

"Wha...no...well..." Ash bit his lip nervously, turning to see Pikachu looking over in concern. He gave his partner Pokemon a reassuring smile, before taking a deep breath and turning back to Anton. "Well...that did come up."

"I'm sure it did." Anton looked to the ground, fiddling with his sunglasses again, briefly brushing his nose as he did so. "My business is always on someone else's mind. My dad's, my sister's...even your friends'. Not a surprise it would come up."

Ash frowned, surprised by the response. He was almost sure he could hear the slightest shake in Anton's voice. "I'm sorry...I'm sure it's more complicated than what I've heard."

Anton shook his head. "It's not."

It was such a simple answer, and with what Ash's experiences with Anton had been like to this point, it took him off completely by surprise. "You mean..."

"I abandoned my Pokemon. Left them alone. Left them to be stolen, beaten and who knows what else. One of them might even be dead for all I know." His fists clenched at his sides, and he turned to Ash, taking a deep breath, before relaxing them. "I take it you've heard about the last IPL match as well? When Korrina claimed to have my Vivillon?"

Ash didn't try to hide it. "She said you didn't believe it."

"I believed it. I saw her and Gabby with it afterwards." Anton kicked a stone away that was at his feet. "I ruined Vivillon's life. I don't care if it thinks it forgives me. I can't let it come back to me."

"That just adds to Vivillon's pain," Ash argued, knowing Anton wouldn't care, but needing to try nonetheless. "Vivillon must believe you can do better with another chance."

"There's only one thing I can do for Vivillon now," Anton said, turning around and facing the path back to the city.

"What's that?" Ash asked, staring in surprise as Anton walked away.

"Crush my enemies." He was almost out of earshot when he finished. "I'll see you on the battlefield."

 **Author's Note:**

I'll be honest, my original intention early in the story was for Gabby to be worse. I just ended up enjoying her too much as...well...not awful. Makes a nice change from pissy baby Anton I guess. Anyway, I suppose that's led to a bit of awkwardness at times with Gabby so hopefully that's not too glaring.

As for Anton, as I said before...he's a bit of a pissy baby. But...is he up to something? Hm...I guess we'll see.

Next chapter should be here in a couple days. Might even do a double upload...who knows. See you then.


	18. A Team With a Dream

**Author's Note:**

The final performances and contest battles of the "regular season" in the IPL. Will Lumiose qualify for the playoffs?! We'll see. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 18: A Team With a Dream**

Ash fidgeted uncomfortably as he and his friends waited in the lobby of the Laverre performance theatre where the day's performances and contest battles would take place. He couldn't stop thinking of the encounter with Anton the day before, and continued to wonder what he'd meant by his last statement. _Crush his enemies. Does he mean Raphael?_ Ash could feel Pikachu pawing at him in concern, but he still felt distracted. _Or did he mean me?_

Serena had mentioned her walk with Gabby when they'd met up afterwards, and Ash could tell that whatever was going on with Anton was complicated. He couldn't help but be worried, though. Anton still seemed unsure about how to act in regards to Raphael and what happened with Vivillon. Was it possible he still thought Raphael was someone he could trust?

"Pikapi."

Ash shook his head at Pikachu's murmur, looking up at his partner Pokemon and grinning to show he was fine. He decided to take in the scene around him, noticing the excited Laverre students heading to their seats. Despite Laverre having clinched their spots in the playoffs, it was clear they still felt it necessary to see them close things out. Besides, if Lumiose could get their needed points, they would be a playoff opponent.

At that thought, Ash looked up at monitor displaying the current standings, with Shalour and Coumarine also still scheduled to face off. It looked promising, though. While Laverre was in first place, Lumiose still held second. Although they still needed some points if Coumarine managed to put together a strong showing against Shalour.

 _1st Place: Laverre University (15pts)_

 _2nd Place: Lumiose University (11pts)_

 _3rd Place: Coumarine College (8pts)_

 _4th Place: Shalour College (6pts)_

"If Shauna and Serena can win their performances, we don't even need to worry about Tierno and Dawn's contest battles," Trevor pointed out, also looking at the standings as Ash did. "They just need the two points and it won't matter if Coumarine gets all four against Shalour."

"They've got a chance at tying Laverre for first place!" Marie argued. "We should be cheering for all four instead of just what we need!"

"I think we should just take it one at a time," Clemont suggested, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the standings nervously. "These won't be easy matches no matter what the situation is. Let's just hope it's not a repeat of last time."

Ash smiled, looking to his friends confidently. "No way it'll be like last time. We've all gotten way stronger and we've learned a bunch from our classes. Laverre is going up against a new team this time!"

"I agree! It should be marvelous!" Ash and the others turned as they heard Professor Sycamore approaching, Flint and Agatha with him. Only Fantina was absent among the coaches, as she was with the Performance Team backstage. "I hope the Performance Team and the Battle Team are both able to put to use all that they've learned from the school year's classes."

"I think we should be able to," Clemont said proudly, adjusting his glasses. "I've already put together my strategy for our next battle, and I'll use a few of the tips from Flint's and Agatha's classes."

"Same here," Trevor said, although not sounding as sure. Ash hoped he wasn't still feeling less important to their chances. Trevor had worked just as hard as any of them, so he was sure to be better in his next match, too, though.

"Well that's good to hear," Sycamore said with a grin, "because I have some news for all of you. Fantina will be informing the others now."

Ash frowned, exchanging a glance with Clemont and Trevor, before looking back to Sycamore. "What is it?"

"If your teams earn a spot in the IPL Playoffs, your performances there will determine your exam success for this semester. So long as you are able to demonstrate the lessons you've learned." He laughed as he noticed their surprised looks. "Does that sound fair? I've discussed it with your teachers. Considering the work that will be required if you make it, it will be tough to keep up with exams on top of it."

"Sounds awesome!" Ash said quickly, followed by Trevor shortly after. Clemont was a little less enthusiastic, but agreed as well, seemingly with some excited looks from Bonnie about the idea. Ash felt a bit bad, knowing Marie would still be doing her exams, but she said she was looking forward to just using what she learned from them in their battles and that would be good enough for her.

With that news on their minds, the group excitedly headed into the theatre room as it was announced that performances would begin shortly. Flint led the way to their assigned seats as Professor Sycamore headed over to sit with the judges. Ash grimaced, seeing the professor sitting next to Raphael, who had a Medicham out with him. It seemed a couple others had psychic types out as well, and Ash assumed that would have something to do with the Theme Performance.

He wasn't going to have too long to find that out, though, with a woman coming out on to the stage shortly after he and his friends took their seats. Ash recognized the woman as one of Valerie's assistants at her gym and fashion store, Kali, who had also judged their gym battle. She seemed suited to this task as well, excitedly calling out to the crowd and getting them loudly cheering while she explained the rules and process for what was to come.

It seemed that this would be somewhat like the first Theme Performance of the IPL, where these two teams had faced off. The twist had Ash intrigued, though, as it appeared a psychic Pokemon would be needed to hold some kind of item over each Pokemon while they competed in a race. It would require intense focus from each trainer and Pokemon as they needed to prevent even the smallest mistake if there was going to be any chance of getting to answer the question.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" Kali called out once the rules were understood. "Let's welcome the performers who will be competing. For Lumiose University, it's Shauna!" There was some polite clapping, but it was nothing in comparison to the announcement for the next performer. "And for our own Laverre University, it's Lisa!"

Ash grinned as he noticed Shauna emerging alongside her Gothita, appearing fired up as she looked across to her opponent. Lisa had won the first match with some clever moves with her Grimer in the race against Ivysaur, but she and her Meowstic would need to be much more worried this time.

Kali further clarified the rules for the two performers as they positioned themselves further back on the stage, while the race course was set up. It seemed what each Pokemon would need to do, was carry a glass of water to the opposite end and fill a bucket. Once the bucket had been filled, a bell would ring and whoever had more points from correctly answering their questions would be declared the winner. The bucket would apparently be filled after five glasses, so three points would be needed to win.

"Are both performers prepared to begin the race?!" Kali called out excitedly, Shauna and Lisa nodding as their Pokemon began floating the glasses above their heads, blue auras around each. "Then let the race begin!"

"Go Shauna!" Ash and his friends cheered, while Gothita and Meowstic began to move forward towards the platform where the bucket was.

Each Pokemon was moving slowly, but carefully, and Ash could see the intense focus on each of their faces. Unfortunately, he could see Lisa smirking as a plan came to her to get in Shauna's head. No direct interference would be allowed until one or both trainers had two points, but that wasn't going to stop her from playing some kind of trick.

"Meowstic, use Future Sight!"

The crowd gasped as Meowstic slowed down, eyes shining a bright blue as two black orbs appeared above her, and seemed to disappear into the air. It seemed to give Gothita the edge in speed, as she reached the bucket first, but Ash knew what this would mean for later. Lisa was clearly trying to set the stage for a win in the final round if she didn't have it finished beforehand.

With Gothita taking the lead, however, she managed to get back to Shauna first, and Kali gave her the first question as the Laverre students groaned at the first round seeming to go to her. "Performer Shauna," Kali said, as Shauna appeared to close her eyes in focus. "The Psychic Pokemon Alakazam has two pre-evolved forms. What are they?"

Ash couldn't help but clench his fists nervously, leaning forward in anticipation. He knew the answer, and just wished Shauna would know it, too. Luckily, she did. "Abra and Kadabra!"

"Correct!" Kali called out, while Lisa shrugged, apparently not bothered. "Shauna takes the lead!"

The next race was much closer, but this time, Shauna took the initiative of making a move. As Meowstic started to pull ahead, Shauna quickly called for Rain Dance above Gothita which allowed it to move faster, with the water spilling, but being replenished from the rain. Meowstic was still able to speed up to make it close, but Gothita once again crossed the finish line first, making Lisa look a little less comfortable.

Shauna once again answered the question correctly, and Ash and his friends cheered loudly once more with her being poised to take the first point for Lumiose. Unfortunately, Lisa was looking furious, and now she had the chance to run interference on Shauna and Gothita.

"Resume the race!" Kali called once both trainers were ready for the third race.

Lisa wasted no time in running her interference, immediately calling for Meowstic to use Disarming Voice on Gothita. Shauna, to her credit, managed to guide Gothita through the first attempt, but Lisa was relentless. When Disarming Voice failed, Meowstic was quick to use Thunder Wave to electrify Gothita's path. She avoided the electricity, but it was enough to slow her down while Meowstic easily reached the bucket first and took the lead to win the round.

"And Lisa has closed the gap to one!" Kali informed the crowd, all of them cheering loudly, while Ash looked nervously to his friends. Lisa easily answered the question, identifying the difference between a Slowbro and Slowking, and the next round was quick to start again.

"Shauna just needs to keep calm," Clemont said, as Lisa started up her interference again. "Last time she let Lisa get into her head. She can still win this."

Ash nodded, knowing it was tough for Shauna to win this round, with Lisa using Thunder Wave once more to bar Gothita's path. He just hoped that she would be ready for what was to come in the last race. "That Future Sight could be a real problem."

"Gothita might just have what's needed to get around that..." Trevor said, surprisingly not looking worried at all, despite Lisa's Meowstic rushing to the finish line and giving her the next question.

Ash and Clemont decided to watch and see what he meant. Lisa once again answered her question correctly and the stage was set for the final race. Ash couldn't help but notice that Shauna seemed to be smiling as she looked ahead, and he wondered what it was that Trevor expected her to use. For some reason, she seemed to think it would give her the edge, despite the attack that was coming her way.

He was going to find out soon enough, though, as Kali then called out for the final race to begin, and Gothita and Meowstic both moved forward. This time, despite interference being allowed by both trainers, neither used it to start, with both Pokemon carefully making their way forward with the final glass of water floating above their heads. Lisa was clearly waiting for her hidden attack, though, simply looking above the Pokemon and waiting for it to appear.

When it did, the crowd gasped excitedly, two orbs suddenly forming above the Pokemon, each crackling with power. Ash tensed up, wondering just what Shauna could do to stop it, thinking that there wasn't much she could do. Fortunately, he was wrong, and in that moment, Shauna had the perfect counter.

"Gothita, use Trick Room!"

"Gothita!" her Pokemon suddenly cried out, stunning Meowstic and Lisa as her eyes glowed and the race course was suddenly surrounded in what appeared to be a pink box. That wasn't the most noticeable thing, however, as suddenly, the orbs of Future Sight appeared to almost be completely stalled, moving far slower than they had a moment before, along with the Pokemon that had formed them.

"Incredible!" Kali called out in surprise. "Shauna has used Trick Room to give Gothita a massive advantage in speed and avoid the powerful Future Sight that had been locked on since the first race. It looks like she'll take the final race and get the last question!"

"Yeah! Go Shauna!"

Ash and his friends were on their feet as Gothita finished the race well in the lead. Lisa and the Laverre students seemed completely stunned by the quick turnaround, but Shauna remained composed, clearly knowing it wasn't over yet as she prepared to answer her next question.

"Performer Shauna," Kali started, the crowd going quiet, clearly hoping Lisa would still have a chance to steal if Shauna got the question wrong. "In Kalos, the psychic type gym leader, Olympia, requires her challengers to compete in what special format?"

Ash knew right away that Shauna could answer that, and he and his friends were cheering as she answered, "Trainers compete in a double battle!"

"Correct! Shauna has won the first match!" Kali announced loudly. "Lumiose University earns the first point of the day!"

It wasn't everything they would need, but Ash and the others knew it was a crucial win, and as they cheered for Shauna and she waved back, it was clear she felt good about earning the point. Considering the rough first outing against Laverre University, it was a good feeling to get a win against them now, too. As Ash had said before, they were up against a different team this time.

"Now it's Serena's turn," Clemont pointed out, while murmuring went through the crowd as things were prepared for the next performers to come out for the Freestyle stage. "If she wins, it will clinch the Performance Team's spot in the playoffs!"

"I know she can do it!" Ash said confidently. "She's been working really hard for this."

It wasn't too long before Kali was getting the crowd ready for the next stage of performances. It was clear they were all looking forward to it, with Gabby apparently being quite popular, and even Serena seeming quite well known considering her Masterclass success. Gabby received the louder cheers, but even Serena received some loud ones outside the Lumiose contingent.

"I should ask Gabby if she can take care of-"

Ash chuckled as Clemont rushed to get Bonnie to quiet down, before looking to the stage and seeing the two performers preparing for their routines. Serena was in her red performing dress, while Gabby was in a blue and white one with a matching blue bow in her pink hair. She looked like a pink-haired Altaria gliding across the stage, and Ash assumed that was the point. He was glad to see both trainers looking excited about the match, though, which was different from how Lisa had been acting ahead of the match with Shauna. It seemed Gabby would be a bit of a better sport about the whole thing, although Ash knew that didn't mean it would be easy.

Kali quickly informed the crowd of the rules, while each performer took their positions. When she was done, she looked to each trainer and ensured they were ready, before instructing them to send out their Pokemon. Gabby did so immediately, calling out her Ninetales and Altaria as she had the last time. Ash wasn't surprised, given the impressive job they'd done before. Serena hadn't mentioned who she would be using, though, so he was curious to see who she would call out as he looked to her.

"Performer Serena?" Kali then asked suddenly, and Ash raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked to Serena, seeing her looking nervously into the crowd. It was brief, but it was enough of a hesitation to be noticed. He couldn't help but glance up to see where she'd been looking, noticing Raphael with his Medicham. Fortunately, he seemed distracted himself, glancing at a cellphone in his hand.

Serena managed to recover then, calling out Absol and Popplio to her sides. Ash was surprised to see Popplio, considering her lack of stage experience, but she seemed quite excited to see the crowd in front of her. She even got a few chuckles as she gave a brief demonstration of her juggling ability, leading to one of her bows. Ash grinned, realizing Serena's strategy. Popplio would be valuable in winning over the hometown crowd.

With the Pokemon now out, it was finally time for the performances to begin, and Ash leaned forward in interest as Serena stepped forward for the initial performance, where each trainer performed separately. As Absol and Popplio moved out to either side of her, she seemed to take a deep breath, looking to Kali as she readied herself.

"Let the performance begin!" Kali then announced, Serena calling her commands immediately.

"Absol, Psycho Cut! Popplio, Aqua Jet!"

Ash couldn't help but smile as he saw Popplio take off with glee, surrounded by water as she soared into the air. It was a stunning display on its own as she twirled above Serena, but it was made even more impressive by the swirling pink crescents that soon followed, spinning around her and giving her a pink glow. Serena seemed to be enjoying herself just as much, spinning around Absol as she prepared her next order.

"Now, Popplio, aim down with Bubble Beam! And Absol, use Icy Wind!"

"Pop!"

"Sooolll!"

Popplio ended her Aqua Jet midair, surrounded by a spray of water and pink sparkles from Psycho Cut. She looked like an experienced performer as she straightened out above the stage and then fired down a stream of bubbles, while Absol's fur rose along his back from down below. Then, suddenly, balls of ice were forming between the two Pokemon, and Serena caught one, while Absol popped a few that fell towards him.

As Popplio began to descend, striking each ice ball to slow her drop, Serena then called out to her, tossing the ice ball she had caught into the air. "Double Slap!"

"Pop!" Popplio cried out as it reached her, striking the ice ball and exploding it into a shower of snow as she landed, bowing alongside Serena and Absol.

"Yeah! Go Serena!"

Ash and his friends cheered loudly, and he was pleased as the Laverre students did so as well. They might be supporting Gabby overall, but at least they appreciated Serena's opening performance. As Gabby prepared to begin her own performance, they definitely grew louder, however.

There was good reason for it, too, and Ash felt both uneasy and impressed as Gabby began, instantly calling for Altaria to use Dragon Rush above Ninetales, who rushed underneath the low flying dragon type with a Flame Charge. It created a dazzling display of what almost appeared to be a flaming rainbow darting across the stage.

She then followed that up with Altaria flying higher above stage, while Ninetales hopped overtop of her, aiming a Flamethrower into the air in an arc over her, before turning and using Extrasensory to make it appear as though Gabby was dancing among the flames. Altaria finished off the routine by aiming a Moonblast straight down that exploded against the flames in a shower of pink and red sparkles.

"Impressive routines by both performers!" Kali called out, while the crowd went wild for Gabby. "Who's earned the lead so far? It seems the spotlight will start on Gabby, but it certainly was a close first performance!"

"That's not good," Clemont murmured, looking nervous as Bonnie fidgeted uncomfortably next to him. That initial edge is important.

"Serena can make up for it," Ash said confidently, fists clenched as he leaned forward to watch closely. "I know she can do it."

Serena definitely didn't plan on going down without a fight. As soon as the call came to start with the next stage of the performance, she had Popplio on the move again. "Popplio, go around us with Aqua Jet! Go as fast as you can. Absol, get ready to use Icy Wind!"

As she gave her orders, though, Gabby was on the move as well, ordering Ninetales to hop on Altaria's back as she twirled herself into position underneath them. "Go! Dragon Rush and Flame Charge combo!"

If it wasn't such a fierce competition, everyone in the audience could've truly appreciated the impressive display both trainers were giving. Their Pokemon acted perfectly on their commands. On Serena's side of the stage, Popplio was spiraling around her and Absol while the Disaster Pokemon froze the path Aqua Jet had made with Icy Wind, creating a frozen slide for Popplio to go back down, getting a laugh from the Laverre crowd.

Meanwhile, with Gabby's Pokemon, the Dragon Rush and Flame Charge combo was more impressive than before. Each Pokemon appeared to overwhelm the stage visually with flames and the shining dragon form around Altaria. And, as they reached near the ceiling, they pulled back, Altaria firing off a Moonblast to light up their side of the stage in a pink glow.

Serena had her plan in place, though, quickly ordering Absol to use Giga Impact to rush to the top of the ice spiral he and Popplio had created, while Popplio leaped into her arms. She held Popplio up high as Absol rushed up, surrounded by white light, almost looking like a ghost darting through the spiral. It almost seemed to be enough to draw attention away from Gabby as she attempted an Extrasensory and Dragon Pulse combination with Moonblast.

"Now, Absol use-"

"Sol!"

Ash's eyes widened as he noticed Absol freeze at the top of the ice spiral, and not because it was cold. Ash knew immediately what had caused it, realizing that Absol's eyes were looking in the exact same direction Serena had looked just before the performances had begun. He couldn't help but follow the gaze, clenching his fists and tensing nervously as he realized Raphael was looking back this time. The more chilling thing, however, was his Medicham, appearing to smirk back, looking knowingly at Absol.

"They recognize each other," Ash whispered to his friends, who followed Absol's gaze as well, looking worried.

It appeared they were the only ones to realize what had happened, though, with much of the crowd turning awkwardly to focus on a Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse combination from Gabby as Serena tried to recover. Ash winced, hoping she and Absol could pull through, remembering Serena's freeze in the first match of the IPL, and then having to rush off to find Absol when he ran off in the second match.

What Serena did, was what only Serena could do, though. She didn't let it phase her one bit, and she calmly looked up to Absol, who shakily managed to get his attention away from Raphael to meet her gaze. Ash could see her smiling as she looked up to the Disaster Pokemon, and he couldn't help but smile himself as Absol instantly appeared less tense.

"Absol, ready to continue?!" Serena called out, the Disaster Pokemon nodding confidently. "Then Popplio, jump and use Aqua Jet! And Absol, use Icy Wind!"

"Pop!"

Serena tossed Popplio up and the Sea Lion Pokemon shot herself into the air with everything she had, rising above the spiral of ice, before letting up and appearing to briefly float on a pillar of streaming water underneath her that Serena was backing away from quickly. Immediately, Absol was sending the chilly energy of Icy Wind forth to freeze it, appearing to create an ice pillar in the centre of the spiral.

"Now, Popplio!" Serena called out, many of the eyes now turning to her in interest, while Gabby seemed to be building towards her own conclusion, with Altaria rising high into the air with Ninetales preparing a Flamethrower underneath her. "Form a big bubble, and Absol, fire off a Psycho Cut!"

"Pop!"

"Sol!"

Ash punched the air in triumph as the two Pokemon timed it perfectly, the pink crescent spinning into the bubble without popping it as Popplio began to expand it above her. It grew larger and larger as Absol then slid down the spiral, darting to the centre alongside Serena. "Now use Icy Wind!"

"Sooolll!"

Ash was so engrossed with Serena's finishing move, he nearly missed it as Kali suddenly called out in excitement and the crowd began to go nuts for what was happening on the other end of the stage. His eyes drifted there for a moment, and they widened as he realized what Gabby was pulling off. While her combination move of Altaria's Dragon Rush meeting with Ninetale's Flamethrower was impressive, it was what Altaria was doing in the middle of the attack that was creating the commotion.

"Altaria, Mega Evolve!" Gabby was now yelling, clutching at the bow in her hair, a light shining brightly from it as it extended out towards Altaria.

Ash winced as he turned to see Serena's finisher, seeing that while she had pulled off the Psycho Cut and ice bubble combination, creating a glowing pink bubble above Popplio, it was barely getting any notice. Instead, Gabby's stunning Mega Altaria had grabbed the crowd's, and the judges' attention.

It was like a fluffy cloud, streaming through the air, singing in a soothing voice as it burst through Ninetale's Flamethrower. Embers danced along its cloud-like wings, but didn't seem to bother it as it then soared over the crowd, twirling around and spinning to dispel the flames. It finished off with a Moonblast that filled the theatre with pink light, showing off stunning strength and beauty, that none in the crowd could turn away from.

Unfortunately, as it ended, Ash knew that the result was now clear, despite Serena's impressive turnaround after Absol's freeze. Serena seemed to be in good spirits as she acknowledged the display by Gabby, appearing awed by the Mega Evolution herself. However, Ash was sure he could see the hint of disappointment in her eyes.

Gabby had won the rematch. And, with only one point earned so far today, the team wasn't the least bit safe. The playoffs were still very much up for grabs.

* * *

"Serena, are you okay?"

Dawn had known how excited Serena had been about performing against Gabby today, and it had been tough to watch as Absol had frozen up in the middle of the performance. While they had recovered nicely, and likely had only lost due to Gabby pulling out her Mega Evolution, it still seemed like that freeze-up had been costly, and she hoped that Serena didn't blame herself. Not that Absol deserved blame either, obviously having been in a tough situation.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Serena said, sitting down and petting Absol in an attempt to comfort him. Dawn could see that the Disaster Pokemon still looked to be on edge. "It was a good performance. Despite what happened, we never gave up, right Absol and Popplio!"

"Pop!" Popplio agreed happily, seeming totally fine despite the loss. Dawn was pretty sure the water type had just been ecstatic to be on a stage.

Absol didn't seem so willing to be happy, though, glancing in the direction of the stage, where Kali could be heard explaining the rules for the upcoming contest battles. "Sol..."

"What was it that upset Absol?" Shauna asked, reaching forward to pet the dark type. "He seemed to be doing well."

"It was Raphael..."

Dawn blinked in surprise at that, exchanging looks with Tierno and Shauna. "You mean...?"

Serena nodded, looking Absol in the eyes, the Disaster Pokemon taking a deep breath as he straightened himself. "You recognized Raphael, didn't you? And his Medicham...that's why you were nervous about the one we performed against in Shalour City last semester?"

"Absol," Absol nodded, looking embarrassed as he broke eye contact.

Serena gave him a reassuring hug. "Don't worry, Absol. We're going to get him back. We'll...we'll show him how strong you are."

"We all will," Dawn vowed, narrowing her eyes. "Raphael won't mess with our team."

"The first step is to get into the playoffs, though," Tierno said, looking to Dawn. "We'll be able to watch Raphael closely if we're where he is. Laverre's in, but we still need to clinch our spot."

"Right!" Dawn said, looking to the stage. It had been decided she would do the single contest battle, as Tierno had prepared an "ultimate dancing strategy" for a match against Jimmy. She'd been happy to agree, though, knowing that it could put the pressure off Tierno if she could win the match. "Will you be okay, Serena? Absol?"

Serena nodded, Absol doing so as well a moment later. "We'll be fine. Just go out there and win!"

"No need to worry!" Dawn told her, smiling as she headed out onto the stage, exchanging a respectful nod with her opponent, Casey, as each took their positions while the scoreboard showed both their pictures and Kali stood between them.

"Our first battle will be between Dawn and Casey!" Kali informed the cheering crowd. "This will be a rematch of the double battle these two fought back in Lumiose City in the first match, although this time it will be one on one. Casey emerged victorious last time, but Dawn's team has proven tough to beat today. This is sure to be a great match!"

With that, Kali stepped back, calling for the trainers to release their Pokemon. Casey went first, grinning as she tossed out her pokeball. "Come on out! Ponyta!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes, remembering how strong Ponyta had been last time, and hoping she could counter it better this time. She decided she would fight fire with fire. "Quilava! SpoootLIGHT!"

"Quilava!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes as she looked across the stage at the opposing fire type. Ponyta was pawing at the ground, looking eager to battle, while Quilava's flames burst out along his back, equally pumped up. It seemed both Pokemon were eager for their rematch after Casey had taken the double battle back when Laverre had visited Lumiose.

Both trainers, looked to Kali then, and she called for the coordinators and their Pokemon to prepare for battle. Then, a moment later, the bell rang to signal the start of the match, and each ordered their first attacks, the crowd cheering loudly in response.

"Flame Charge, Ponyta!"

"Slow it down with Swift!"

Ponyta neighed loudly in response to Casey's call, and then quickly started running forward, its flaming mane expanding around it until it was only fire coming at Quilava. Dawn knew to be wary of Ponyta's speed increasing after the move, but right now, she was focused on the immediate danger. Fortunately, Quilava was slowing the opposing fire type down, aiming the golden stars of Swift at its feet and turning the charge into a slow trot before Casey could even react.

"Impressive move by Dawn and Quilava as they use a dazzling Swift attack to keep Ponyta at bay!" Kali called out, groans heard from the Laverre students, while Dawn heard Ash and the rest of the Lumiose contingent in the crowd cheering her name. She wasn't done, though, noticing just a small drop in points on Casey's side, and knowing she needed a follow up attack to hold the momentum.

"Now, Quilava, use Flame Wheel!" Dawn ordered, pointing ahead as Ponyta's Flame Charge died out completely.

"Lava!" Quilava cried out, flames engulfing his own body, before he curled up suddenly and rolled forward, rapidly picking up speed. He struck Ponyta quickly, and Dawn grinned as Casey's points dropped even more this time, hitting the three quarter mark while her own points remained full.

Casey had an opening now, though, with Quilava in close, and she quickly called out a counterattack. "Ponyta, use High Horsepower!"

Dawn's eyes widened as Ponyta narrowed its eyes, neighing as it spun around quickly and then kicked out with all its might at the now vulnerable Quilava, who was bouncing back after his successful strike. He was sent flying back through the air, striking the ground hard when he landed and skidding across a few more feet.

"Ouch! A stunning hit by Ponyta, and it looks like Casey's taken the lead with a counter like that." Dawn grimaced as she looked at the scoreboard, seeing it was true. _She tricked me!_

"No need to worry, Quilava!" Dawn called out, narrowing her eyes as she noticed Casey analyzing the scene in front of her. "Let's keep at a distance and use Swift with Counter Shield!"

She grinned as she heard Ash cheering for the move. She just hoped it would work. Quilava set off immediately, though, leaping forward and spinning on his back, before suddenly golden stars were shooting out around him. They created what appeared to be a vortex of golden stars, the crowd gasping in awe as they clashed together, sparks flying out across the field and forcing Ponyta to step back nervously.

"Another impressive display, and Dawn's knocked off a few points from Casey with this move," Kali informed the crowd, who seemed too interested in what was about to happen to voice their displeasure.

"Now, Quilava, add in a Flamethrower and send a flaming Swift attack at Ponyta!" Dawn commanded, thrusting her arm forward with the command. She could see Casey narrowing her eyes, but she couldn't worry about a counter now, just hoping Quilava's combination could work, knowing it would go a long way towards winning the match.

"Lava!" the Volcano Pokemon cried out in answer, ending his spinning and then leaping back out of the spinning vortex of Swift. He aimed his next attack and fired a moment later, unleashing a powerful Flamethrower that seemed to propel the vortex forward, turning the golden stars into burning red and orange ones. The combination attack rushed towards Ponyta, and Dawn was sure it was about to hit.

"Ponyta, use Bounce, and then descend inside it!" Casey then yelled, the Laverre students murmuring in surprise. Dawn couldn't blame them, watching in confusion as Ponyta kicked hard off the ground and launched itself high in the air, well above the vortex.

"What is this?!" Kali cried out in excitement. "It looks like a risky move, but Casey's attempting some kind of counter for Dawn's impressive combination attack.

"Sorry Dawn, but you won't be getting any points for Lumiose out of me!" Casey called out then, pointing ahead. "Descend Ponyta!"

Ponyta neighed loudly as it aimed down, flames, engulfing it as it used Flame Charge to further increase its speed. It hit the ground with a thud, shaking the vortex of flaming stars and causing it to waver. That seemed to be just what Casey needed, too, as she called the next attack to completely overwhelm it.

"Fire Spin! Make that vortex your own!" Casey commanded, grinning as more flames flew up around the stars, seemingly taking hold of it. Suddenly, it almost seem to tilt towards Quilava, who backed up nervously. "Now, Bounce and use High Horsepower!"

Another neighing sound was heard within the vortex, and then suddenly, Ponyta emerged above it, almost glowing in embers. Dawn could see her points dropping already as the Fire Horse Pokemon turned midair and kicked out with all its might once more, slamming the flaming vortex and sending it spinning rapidly towards Quilava. There was no counter for him to make.

"Lavaaa!" the Volcano Pokemon cried out suddenly, hit by the vortex and then suddenly plucked off the ground by it. Dawn winced and cried out in concern for her Pokemon as she heard him being whipped around by his own attack.

It only got worse, though, as suddenly, Casey was ordering a follow up, just as Quilava was being flung to the ground by the now dissipating vortex. "Finish this off with Flame Charge!"

Dawn could only glance at the scoreboard in frustration, seeing her points too low to do anything as the Fire Horse Pokemon burst forward, its speed already too much after its previous uses of Flame Charge. Quilava was struck once again, before the buzzer was heard, signifying Casey's victory.

"And the winner is Casey, from Laverre University!"

As the crowd cheered, Dawn quickly went over to Quilava, ensuring he was all right before recalling him back to his pokeball. As she did so, Casey came over to congratulate her on her combinations, appearing surprised by her own response.

"I had to pull out the last thing I could think of, Dawn! I thought it was over for Ponyta and me with that Flamethrower Swift vortex." She held out her hand then. "Hopefully we can face off in the playoffs."

"Yeah," Dawn said, smiling back. "We might need more points, though..."

"Jimmy's not gonna be easy, but maybe your friend Tierno can pull off the dance moves to do it." With that, both coordinators said farewell, before each heading backstage, while Kali got the crowd prepared for the final match between Jimmy and Tierno.

When Dawn got backstage, the latter was waiting for her, looking more nervous than ever. "Dawn, I don't know about this..."

"Relax, Tierno," Dawn said, taking a deep breath. While she was disappointed she hadn't been able to get the clinching point, she knew she needed to be the captain she was expected to be for this team. "There's no need to worry. This is just another battle. Just another dance!"

"She's right, Tierno," Serena said, joining the two, Shauna behind her. "We all know you can do this. Go out there and show Laverre what true rhythm is all about!"

"If Dawn couldn't win..." Tierno shook his head. "This is a lot of pressure."

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Tierno, sometimes we're going to lose. That doesn't mean we back down from pressure. This is the best time to pull out all your dance moves. Maybe it was meant to be that your dancing would get us into the playoffs."

"Yeah!" Shauna agreed. "Move and groove and clinch our spot, Tierno. I know you can do it."

"Don't give up!" Serena added.

Tierno grinned, looking to each of them in turn. "You think I can do this?"

"Of course you can," Dawn said, smiling as she realized that her loss might've been a blessing in disguise. Maybe this _was_ the perfect way to clinch their spot. As a leader of their team, this was a chance for her to give someone else a chance to shine. "Go out there and show Jimmy how we dance at Lumiose University!"

With that, Tierno nodded, a determined expression coming to his face. He took a deep breath, beginning to tap his feet as though getting into his rhythm, and then he turned around, making his way to the stage as Kali called him and Jimmy out. _You can do this, Tierno,_ Dawn thought, clenching her fists as she looked up to the screen that was playing the events on stage.

As Tierno and Jimmy took their places, Kali gave a quick rundown of the rules for the double battle and then asked for both trainers to call out their Pokemon. Jimmy started, calling out his Gallade he'd used in the first match against Tierno, along with a Mienshao. Tierno, meanwhile, responded with his Blastoise and his Raichu, each tapping their feet in rhythm with his own, causing Jimmy to awkwardly begin doing the same.

Before they started, however, Kali suddenly raised her hand, the crowd growing quiet as she stepped forward. "Attention everyone!" she said excitedly. "We've just gotten word of the results of the performances and contest battles in the match between Coumarine College and Shalour College. Coumarine College has won all four points, and due to this, they are tied with Lumiose University for second place, thanks to Shauna's win earlier in the Theme Performance. This means that a win by Tierno would clinch Lumiose University a spot in the IPL Playoffs! Otherwise, Lumiose University and Coumarine College will need to have a tiebreaker match!"

Ash's voice was audible from both backstage and the screen above, and Dawn and the others couldn't help but giggle as he yelled, "Yeah! Go Tierno! You can do this!"

Tierno seemed further emboldened by that, and as Kali stepped back, his steps became quicker, his dance routine ready to pick up as soon as the match began. Then, the bell rang, and the battle was on. Before either trainer ordered a single attack, each was tapping their feet quickly and spinning in tune with their Pokemon. Dawn was sure Tierno was a little more in sync, however.

"Blastoise, Rain Dance!"

While in the first match, Tierno had been off his rhythm while he had tried to fight like it was a regular Pokemon battle, Dawn could see quickly that he'd taken his nerves from before this battle, and channeled them into precise movements. His nerves weren't there now, and his Pokemon were responding in just as calm a manner, with Blastoise leading the way and darting forward to form the rain cloud above the stage.

As the rain began to fall, the stage began to get pretty slick quite quickly, and Dawn could see that Jimmy was shocked by the quick move, his Pokemon slipping in their dancing as they tried to steady themselves. It was only made worse as Tierno took advantage. "Blastoise, Ice Beam at Gallade's and Mienshao's feet!"

"Blastoise!" the water type roared happily, spinning around Raichu quickly, before firing off the icy attack that froze the ground at the opposing Pokemon's feet, making their situation even worse.

"Wow! Tierno's got the early control here!" Kali called out excitedly. "Jimmy's going to need to do something to move a little more smoothly with a slippery field in front of him." As she spoke, Dawn grinned, seeing Tierno already taking a significant lead with points.

Jimmy was desperate, though, and he was ready with a counterattack now, quickly ordering Gallade to use Close Combat on the ground, snapping his fingers as he hit the ground himself in sync with the fighting and psychic type. "Gallade!" it cried out, pummeling the ground, and chopping up the ice, Mienshao carefully attempting to maneuver next to it.

Tierno seemed to be ready for this, though, ordering Raichu on top of Blastoise immediately, having the other use Rapid Spin just before. "Raichu, hit Gallade with Thunder!"

"Raiii!"

Dawn and the others cheered at the order, seeing the bolt crash down with perfect precision as Raichu and Tierno leaped up in the air in sync, spinning on their landings. Raichu remained on top of Blastoise's back as Gallade stumbled to the ground, the two Pokemon approaching a defenseless Mienshao with speed.

"Now, Focus Blast!"

"Counter with Aura Sphere!"

The two attacks clashed midair, but with Blastoise continuing to spin forward, Dawn could see that Mienshao was worried, the exploding attacks causing it to stumble on the ice again, while Gallade scrambled to get back up. Jimmy seemed flustered, with both his Pokemon out of sync now, and unable to move with either of them.

"Raichu, use Charge Beam on Gallade!" Tierno then ordered, the electric type leaping off of Blastoise's back and firing off the beam of electricity as the Shellfish Pokemon continued moving forward.

"Block with Protect!"

The electric attack was blocked, but Dawn grinned as she saw Mienshao right itself just in time for Blastoise to crash into it, sending it into Gallade, who lost control of its protective barrier as it was knocked into. In that moment, Blastoise emerged from his shell, ready to attack from behind while Raichu rushed in from the front.

"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon! Raichu, Thunder!" Tierno yelled, pumping his fist with the order, and spinning around as both Pokemon focused their attacks.

Jimmy had enough in him to not be totally out it just yet, though, narrowing his eyes and using his Pokemon's simultaneous stumble to get back in some sort of rhythm. "Mienshao, Detect! Gallade, hit the ground with Leaf Blade!"

As the water rushed towards Mienshao, Dawn gasped as its eyes flashed, just as Serena's Absol's did when it used Detect. Gallade, meanwhile, was just as effective, using the grass type attack to channel the electricity from Raichu's Thunder attack into the ground. It seemed to weaken him, but not by nearly as much as it might have.

With his two Pokemon avoiding the worst of the assault by Tierno, though, and even managing to knock a few points off his score, Jimmy seemed to feel he was back in the match. He was ready with the next order, and with Blastoise and Raichu now separated, Tierno was vulnerable.

"Gallade, Close Combat! And Mienshao, High Jump Kick!" Jimmy shouted, snapping his fingers and ducking low to the ground in sync with his Pokemon. He straightened just as they did, spinning as they crashed into their opponents. Mienshao sent Blastoise stumbling back and slipping along his own ice, while Raichu was pummeled and sent flying back towards Tierno.

Dawn glanced at the scoreboard, seeing that the points were a little closer with that move, Tierno still holding a lead, though. If he could pull of another good combination, however, he might have enough before time would run out. "Come on, Tierno..." she whispered, clenching her fists.

"Blastoise, use Ice Beam towards Raichu!" Tierno then ordered, spinning as he Blastoise mimicked him, righting himself and then striking the stage between him and Raichu. It seemed to make a perfect path between them. "Now Rapid Spin along it! And Raichu, use Dig!"

"Tierno appears to be planning a combination!" Kali cried out excitedly. "Can Jimmy counter it?!"

"Sure I can!" Jimmy said confidently, snapping his fingers and then pointing ahead. "Hit 'em with Aura Sphere Mienshao! And Gallade, get in close with Close Combat!"

"Shao!" Mienshao cried out in response, forming the blue sphere of energy as Blastoise spun quickly towards the centre of the stage, picking up speed from the ice.

"Hydro Cannon!"

"Blastoise!" Blastoise exploded out of his spin with water bursting out of his cannon immediately, and Dawn was stunned by the speed it seemed to shoot out with. The jet exploded against Aura Sphere with such force the explosion shook the stage, causing gasps near the front of the crowd.

Jimmy's Gallade was quick to follow up, though, darting in past the smoke from the colliding attacks and rushing up to engage with Blastoise. "Now!" Jimmy shouted, spinning and pointing with a snap of his fingers.

"Raichu!" Tierno called out in response.

"Rai!" the electric type burst out of the ice in that moment, just in front of Blastoise, its fist aimed up to crash right into Gallade's jaw. With another perfect counter, Dawn cheered gleefully as Jimmy's points dropped to well below one quarter of his total. Tierno just needed one last move to finish things off, still with over half of his remaining.

"Thunder!"

"RAIII!"

As Gallade straightened up, it looked to be nervously watching for the attack to hit it. Jimmy seemed to think that was where it was heading too, ordering Gallade to use Protect right away. Instead, Mienshao was left completely vulnerable, the bolt of lightning crashing down upon it, leaving the poor fighting type smoking as it fell to the ground.

 _BZZZ!_

"And that's the buzzer!" Kali shouted excitedly. "Jimmy's points are down to zero, and Tierno has taken the match."

Dawn stared wide-eyed at her friends, each of them staring at the screen in shock, before huge smiles came to their faces. They suddenly cheered as they saw Tierno taking it in on screen, the dancer rushing to his Pokemon to congratulate them, while Ash and the others roared in approval from the crowd.

"Congratulations to Lumiose University's Performance Team!" Kali added, the Laverre students even applauding in response. "They have just earned their place in the Interschool Pokemon League Playoffs!"

 **Author's Note:**

And Lumiose has made it into the playoffs with their Performance Team! And, it's with rookie coordinator Tierno clinching it for them! Hope it all worked out. I didn't quite mean for it to be so lopsided against Dawn, but I was kind of thinking of it like she was eager to get that clinching point, and didn't have the full focus necessary, but then used that captain leadership to get Tierno in the right mind instead. I don't know...hopefully it worked.

Anyway, as for Serena and Absol. Must've been somewhat expected. Raphael is a nightmare in Absol's eyes. Absol's gonna need to figure out a way to deal with that guy...hmm...

So that's that. Next chapter is the Battle Team's attempt. See you then.


	19. A Tight Finish

**Author's Note:**

A big one here, folks. Will Ash, Clemont and Trevor be able to follow the Performance Team to the IPL Playoffs? Let's find out!

 **Chapter 19: A Tight Finish**

Ash could feel Anton's eyes on him as he stood with his friends outside the battlefield, waiting to meet Professor Sycamore and their coaches. The other trainer was standing with his own team, although not a part of any of their conversations. When Ash looked back to him, however, Anton turned away quickly, appearing to glare towards whoever was nearest him. Ash could only sigh in response, turning back to his friends as they waited and discussed the matches ahead.

"Well, with the Performance Team in the playoffs now, you guys need to step it up, okay?" Dawn said confidently, looking to Ash, Clemont and Trevor in turn. Trevor looked pale as everyone looked to him, but Dawn didn't seem to notice in that moment. "Ready to turn things around from the last time you battled these guys?!"

"We'll certainly try," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses as he looked to a nearby screen that had the standings up. "It looks like the other matches are done, so we know what we need now."

Ash followed his gaze, seeing that their task ahead was still quite difficult. Unlike the Performance Team, he and the Battle Team would be fighting from behind to get into the playoffs, with Shalour College currently holding second place. They needed two of three points today if they were going to qualify.

 _1st Place: Laverre University (12pts)_

 _2nd Place: Shalour College (9pts)_

 _3rd Place: Lumiose University (8pts)_

 _4th Place: Coumarine College (4pts)_

"Are you guys planning to battle the same opponents as last time?" Marie asked, Ash and the others looking to her. "I guess it's obvious enough that Ash will be battling Anton."

"Yeah, Greninja and I have been looking forward to that rematch!" Ash said, pumping his fist along with Pikachu, who was excited as well, even though he wouldn't be battling.

"I think Bunnelby would probably like another shot at battling Dean and his Diggersby," Clemont said, looking to Trevor as though checking if that was all right. Trevor didn't seem to have any argument against it, but Ash wasn't sure if that was because he was happy battling Sasha, or if it was because he wasn't even focusing on what they were saying, the nerves of the coming battles getting to him.

Tierno seemed to sense his friend's nerves, patting Trevor on the back as he moved up beside him. "That means you'll be beating that girl Sasha, right Trevs? Gotta get payback for last time!"

"Are you going to use Charizard this time?" Shauna asked, looking concerned as Trevor fidgeted with his camera. "Or are you going to give Aerodactyl a chance at a rematch?"

Trevor didn't end up having to answer that, as just then, Professor Sycamore, along with Flint, Agatha and Fantina, arrived to meet the group. Fantina looked quite relaxed, seeming as though she was ready to simply enjoy the battles now that she'd helped guide the Performance Team to the playoffs. Flint and Agatha looked pretty fired up, though, both nervous and excited.

"Hope you guys are ready to burn the field up today!" Flint said excitedly, while Professor Sycamore led the group towards their seats at the edge of the battlefield. "Nothing like a chance to make up for a tough loss. Let's show these guys we're a new team from the last time we battled them."

"And don't get too comfortable thinking they'll be happy with already having secured their playoff position," Agatha added, more seriously. "You saw how their Performance Team fought. These Laverre students don't seem to let up."

Ash nodded, ready to take on whatever challenge lay ahead. "There's no way we're going to waste this chance. We've come a long way as a team, and now's our chance to prove it."

Clemont and Trevor voiced their agreement, the latter a little quieter, as the group reached their seats. The Battle Team remained standing while the others sat, waiting to see who would be heading out first for Laverre. Ash could see the seats filling up quickly, and the referee already waiting on the battlefield. Down along the sidelines, he noticed the Laverre students were huddled together as well, apparently discussing their strategy.

"Looks like Dean will be their first battler," Ash pointed out, noticing Anton and Sasha heading to their seats while Dean moved forward. "I guess that means you're up, Clemont."

"I guess so," Clemont said, taking a deep breath as he looked up to another monitor, checking the points. "We'll take it one at a time. First a win to tie Shalour."

"Don't worry about the standings, Clemont!" Ash said, chuckling as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "Just go out there and win!"

Clemont laughed a little at that, before nodding as an announcer called out that the match would be beginning shortly. Ash and Trevor quickly wished Clemont good luck, and then headed back to their own seats, while the announcer called out who would be battling first.

"Go big brother!" Bonnie called out as she realized Clemont was the first battler.

As Clemont headed out onto the battlefield, Dean doing the same at the other end, Ash sat down next to Trevor, seeing the nervousness in his eyes. "You feeling okay?" he asked, glancing to his left where Flint was looking over to the two of them.

Trevor sighed, looking ahead as Clemont held up his pokeball. "Yeah...I am...it's just...I hope Clemont wins."

Ash knew why Trevor was saying this, but he had to confirm. "I hope he does, too, but if not, you and I can get the last two points we need!"

"Maybe..." Trevor grimaced as he looked back at Ash. "I totally screwed up last time, and you and Clemont have beaten the toughest opponents we've had. I'm not strong enough to keep up with you guys. No wonder I wasn't ranked as advanced when we first got to Lumiose University."

"That's crazy!" Ash argued. "You've totally earned your spot. We had a great battle at tryouts, and you got us all out of our rut by winning the first battle against Coumarine."

Trevor shrugged, focusing more on the battlefield as Clemont called out Bunnelby in response to the emergence of Dean's Diggersby. "I don't know...I'd trained a bunch with Flint and I needed to use Charizard to win. If I can't win with Charizard, though..."

He was silent as the referee then called for Clemont's and Dean's battle to begin, and Ash decided not to push it as they watched the opening moves. The Laverre crowd cheered loudly as Dean opened up with the powerful combo that had put Clemont on his heels the last time.

"Hammer Arm, Diggersby!" Dean cried out. "And then follow up with Agility!"

"Dig diggersby!" it responded loudly, flexing its muscular ears and leaping forward.

Ash was surprised by Clemont's slow response, appearing almost as though he hadn't expected Dean to call an attack so quickly. Bunnelby was left vulnerable, looking surprised himself as the Digging Pokemon reached him quickly, slamming him hard, knocking him back across the field. Diggersby quickly followed it up with Agility, hopping quickly around and building up speed to replace what Hammer Arm would normally cost.

"That's a really hard combo to deal with," Ash heard Flint mutter. "Usually a trainer can deal with Hammer Arm's great strength because the Pokemon using it slows down, but Agility just allows it to keep coming with force."

"Clemont can get around it," Ash told him confidently. If anyone knows strategy, it's him!"

"Bunnelby, use Dig, and follow it up with Double Team!" Clemont then commanded, as if in answer to Ash's assurance.

"Bun!" Bunnelby burrowed into the ground instantly, leaving Diggersby to pause and watch the field closely for any sign of hm. He even emerged in a few random places, before shooting back down and out of sight, making it hard to know when and where he might pop up. Then, after a few holes had been dug, multiple Bunnelby copies began emerging from them, darting back in as quick as they appeared. Some even stayed up, running in circles to keep Diggersby even more cautious.

Ash pumped his fist in excitement. "Great job, Clemont! That'll make it harder for Dean to use Hammer Arm on the ground like he did last time to counter Dig. Bunnelby could come at him from anywhere."

"Diggersby, Hammer Arm on the field!" Dean then yelled, as if in answer to Ash's comment.

"Bunnelby, Double Slap!" Clemont countered.

"Diggersby!" Diggersby then roared, raising his ears up high, before slamming them hard onto the field, everything shaking suddenly. A few of Bunnelby's copies disappeared by the fierce shaking, while some scurried towards Diggersby as the holes were filled up by displaced dirt from the attack. Many were in midair around Diggersby now, and in that moment, the evolved Pokemon seemed to realize his pre-evolved counterpart had the opportunity it needed.

"Double Slap!"

"Bun! Bun!" Bunnelby darted towards Diggersby from behind, using his own ears to swing out at him. He sent Diggersby stumbling forward, grunting in pain from the attack. A moment later, Bunnelby leaped back himself, panting from the effort of the attack, but looking pleased to have gotten around Diggersby's field attack.

"How'd you know Clemont could avoid Hammer Arm like that?" Serena asked, sounding surprised by the move. "It looked like he'd be caught for sure."

"Bunnelby wasn't underground, or on it, when Diggersby was hitting it. By using Double Team, Clemont only made Dean _think_ that's where Bunnelby was. It was the perfect way to hide in plain sight!" Ash smirked, glad to see Clemont finding a workaround for Dean's attack. Now he just needed a way to avoid Hammer Arm when it was direct.

Dean appeared to be planning to try a direct attack again, ordering Diggersby to use Agility once more to build up its speed. Bunnelby backed up at that, knowing how dangerous it was to be close to Diggersby with a speed boost. With Hammer Arm and Agility to contend with, his smaller size offered few advantages in close.

"Bunnelby, get ready to use Double Team again," Clemont ordered, watching closely for when Dean and Diggersby would make their next move.

"Use Agility one more time. They won't match your speed!" Dean countered, narrowing his eyes as he looked across the field at Clemont.

"He's going to make Diggersby too quick to avoid," Tierno pointed out, sounding uneasy. "Bunnelby's already at a disadvantage with Diggersby being evolved, but...this could be bad."

"Luxray or Grotle would've been a better match..." Trevor said, wincing as Dean then ordered a Hammer Arm.

Ash couldn't help but wince as well, seeing Bunnelby once again slow to react as Diggersby kicked off, reaching him in an instant and slamming a muscular ear into him with full force. Clemont cried out in worry, but Bunnelby did his best to shake it off, following through with his Double Team and taking off as he split into multiple copies.

"Use Double Slap right away!" Clemont then ordered, grinning as his determined fighter rushed ahead.

Ash tensed up, watching Dean and Diggersby closely. It seemed they were surprised by Bunnelby's quick response, watching the copies rushing forward uneasily. Before they could make a move to avoid the attack, though, the copies had reached the Digging Pokemon, and a moment later, the true Bunnelby was revealed, striking out at his evolved form with everything he had, smacking upwards into Diggersby's chin, and then down on his head.

"Now, Dig and use Double Slap again!" Clemont commanded, following up quickly.

"Hammer Arm!" Dean ordered, Diggersby stumbling from the Double Slap, but recovering enough to narrow his eyes and bring his ear up once Bunnelby burrowed down. He slammed it down then, but as the ground shook, Bunnelby was already emerging behind him, striking at his back, before following up with his ears and pushing him down further.

Unfortunately for Clemont and Bunnelby, they didn't seem to have done enough, and Ash's eyes widened as he noticed Dean grinning. "Diggersby, use Double Kick!"

"Diggersby!" the Digging Pokemon cried out in joy, glancing back at Bunnelby, who looked back with wide eyes from midair. A moment later, Diggersby struck out with both legs, sending Bunnelby flying back, crying out in pain from the strike.

"Now turn and use Mud Shot!" Dean followed up, pumping his fist as Bunnelby landed hard, before the mud balls were sent rocketing towards him, exploding against him in clouds of dirt. "Get ready with another," he added, as Bunnelby struggled to his feet.

"Double Team!" Clemont yelled, desperate to avoid the attack. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to work, with Bunnelby pummeled once again as he tried to take off.

Trevor sighed, apparently seeing that he was going to be quite important to Lumiose's playoff chances very soon. "Diggersby's just too strong for Bunnelby..."

"Don't you get it, Trevor?" Ash asked, grinning despite Clemont's current struggle appearing to be lost. "Clemont and Bunnelby didn't have the advantage against Dean. But...they didn't want to give up after losing last time. They wanted another chance to get better. And they did, and they'll be even better the next time."

Trevor looked to be considering what Ash was saying, but his eyes drifted over to where Sasha was readying herself for the upcoming battle. "He might've won with Luxray..."

"But Bunnelby wanted this chance," Serena pointed out. "He wanted to prove he could beat Diggersby. He might not be doing it this time...but he was close."

At that, Diggersby spun around to avoid a Double Slap from Bunnelby, striking out with both legs and hitting him with a Double Kick again. That appeared to be it, with Bunnelby lying still upon landing. The referee stepped forward.

As the call was made, Ash looked back to Trevor. "It's up to us, Trevor. I know we can win, but the most important thing is working with your Pokemon. All of your Pokemon."

"Maybe you should change things up a bit, Trevor," Marie added a moment later, while Clemont was making his way back, accepting a hug from a disappointed Bonnie.

Trevor nodded, smiling as he seemed to understand their point. "I think I will." And with that, he was off, exchanging a quick high five with Clemont as he made his way to the battlefield.

"Sorry guys," Clemont said, sitting in Trevor's place as the two battling trainers took their places. "I thought I'd pull it off this time. Dean's pretty clever with that Hammer Arm."

"Doesn't look it, but it seems so," Dawn murmured, looking unimpressed as they all glanced over to see Dean looking quite pleased with himself. Gabby and Casey seemed to be shying away from him.

"Trevor and I can get what we need," Ash told Clemont confidently. "You got us both fired up with that battle so you've still helped a lot."

"Hopefully Trevor does okay," Clemont said, looking out to the battlefield as the referee called for the trainers to select their Pokemon. "Is he using Charizard?"

"He's going to try something different," Marie said, obviously pleased she'd suggested the idea. "I don't think he's realized how well he's trained his other Pokemon with how much he uses Charizard, or even Aerodactyl."

Ash thought that made sense, considering his own experiences with his Pokemon surprising him. Decidueye was a perfect example, already looking like he was keeping up with Greninja in some training exercises. With a Pokemon like Charizard, Trevor's other Pokemon would be working harder to keep up.

Sasha called out her Pokemon first, the Weavile that she'd used in the first match emerging in front of her. She certainly appeared to be expecting a win. She even yawned and smirked in Trevor's direction as he pulled out his pokeball.

"Mudkip, come on out!" he then shouted, the Mud Fish Pokemon emerging in front of him with an excited cry.

"Um...well...I didn't think he'd use Mudkip," Marie murmured nervously.

"Decidueye's strong enough for this kind of thing," Ash pointed out. "Mudkip might not be evolved yet, but I think he can do this despite being newer!"

"Yeah, and they've got perfect rhythm," Tierno said, before standing and cheering. "Go get 'em Trevs!"

With that, the referee raised his flag and waved it down. "Let the battle begin!"

Sasha was the first to act, looking like she was pretty sure, Mudkip would be an easy opponent. "Weavile, hit it with Metal Claw! Let's go!"

Ash was interested in seeing what Trevor was going to do, knowing he'd worked on various things with Mudkip, but not having seen a lot of its strategy since its battle with Tierno at Professor Sycamore's tournament. He was sure it was going to be much more confident this time around.

"Counter with Aqua Tail!" Trevor ordered, just as Weavile's claw began to glow white, the Sharp Claw Pokemon rushing forward at full speed.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out in answer, bracing itself for impact, its tail suddenly covered with water as it glowed blue. He narrowed his eyes, and then launched himself forward, lashing out with his tail as Weavile struck with its own attack.

The crowd gasped as the two Pokemon strained against one another, surprised Mudkip appeared to be holding his own. Ash grinned, seeing the surprise in Sasha's eyes. While last time she had been testing Trevor early in their battle, this time he was almost testing himself and his Pokemon. It already looked like they were passing it, too. He grinned as the Pokemon leaped back from one another, and he was quick to have Mudkip keep the intensity up.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!"

"Counter with Ice Beam!" Sasha shouted back, appearing frustrated the Metal Claw hadn't given her an early edge. The crowd seemed to sense her frustration, and Ash could already sense the unease among the students. He had a feeling Sasha let things get to her pretty quickly.

"Vile!" Weavile cried out as he sent the icy beam of energy out towards Mudkip's Water Gun. The attacks clashed between the two Pokemon, exploding on contact, before a few pieces of ice fell towards the ground. Trevor seemed to have planned for that, though.

"Use that ice, and launch it back with Aqua Tail!" he shouted, Mudkip already darting forward and nodding. His tail once again glowed blue, water rushing around it, before he spun, lashing out with it and striking the stray pieces of ice.

"Weavile!" Weavile cried out in pain and surprise, raising his arms to protect himself as the pieces struck him.

Sasha seemed more frustrated, glaring daggers at not only Trevor and Mudkip, but Weavile as well. "Hurry and get back in there with Metal Claw!"

"Use Bide!" Trevor then shouted, looking nervous, but exchanging a confident nod with Mudkip as he made the call.

"Mud!" Mudkip replied, narrowing his eyes as he straightened out and braced himself for impact, the fin on his head twitching as Weavile drew closer. His body began to glow briefly, before Weavile reached him and struck out with is glowing white claw.

"Vile!" Weavile shouted in glee, causing Mudkip to slide back a few feet from the strike, wincing, but looking otherwise okay. Sasha seemed to be pleased with Trevor's now defensive approach, though, and quickly followed up.

"Use Metal Claw again!" she ordered, grinning along with Weavile as they looked ahead to their opponent.

"What's Trevor doing?!" Marie said worriedly. "He was doing well. Why get defensive now?"

Ash had an idea of what Trevor was thinking, but Clemont voiced his thoughts first, as Weavile rushed forward for his next Metal Claw attack. "Trevor probably doesn't want to keep Mudkip on the offensive with Weavile being such a speedy Pokemon. Sasha was willing to engage directly at first to see if she could control the match early, but she might've grown more cautious once she could see Mudkip could keep up. Then she might've tried to force Mudkip into a speed game that he couldn't win."

"This way Mudkip keeps Weavile coming at him," Ash added, narrowing his eyes as Sasha ordered another Metal Claw. "And since steel attacks aren't too effective against Mudkip, this won't do too much, while Bide can hit back hard with all the attacks Mudkip is taking."

At that, Weavile lashed out with one last Metal Claw, making Mudkip wince once more, while his body glowed a bright white, with a red aura surrounding him. It was similar to Ash's Goodra when he used Bide, although not looking quite as menacing in his smaller frame. Unfortunately for Weavile and Sasha, it seemed to be menacing enough.

"MUUUDDD!"

"Vile?"

 _BOOM!_

The explosion of white energy blasted forth, the crowd murmuring nervously as smoke billowed up from the battlefield. Sasha was shielding her eyes as wind buffeted her, but Ash could see the shock on her face as she squinted and looked ahead. As the smoke dissipated, he noticed Weavile managing to rise to his feet, but it clearly seemed as though the attack had done some pretty good damage.

"Hit back with Counter!" Sasha then yelled, Weavile nodding after taking a couple deep breaths.

Ash clenched his fists nervously. "This could be bad..."

"Mudkip!" Trevor called out in concern, clearly knowing the damage the incoming attack could do.

Unfortunately, Mudkip couldn't seem to get away, still panting from his Bide attack. His fin twitched nervously as Weavile rushed towards him, and he cried out in pain as Weavile lashed out. The Mud Fish Pokemon was sent flying through the air, crying out as he flew, before hitting the ground hard in front of Trevor. The crowd cheered in response, clearly hopeful that Sasha had taken control of the match. However, Mudkip still managed to rise to his feet.

"Yeah! You show 'em Mudkip!" Tierno called out, clapping for the water type as he stood.

Trevor seemed pleased with his Pokemon's determination, and called for an attack quickly, apparently deciding they couldn't afford to hold back again in case of another attack like that. "Water Gun, Mudkip!"

"Mud!" Mudkip cried out in answer, aiming towards Weavile and unleashing the blast of water.

"Protect! Then use Ice Beam!" Sasha shouted, narrowing her eyes at the incoming water attack.

"Weavile!" Weavile answered her, crossing his arms in front of him, a turquoise barrier shooting up in front of him. The water deflected off of it, before it ended and Weavile was able to rush forward and respond with his own attack. "Vile!"

The icy beam of energy rushed towards Mudkip quickly, surprising the Mud Fish Pokemon as he tried to dodge backwards. The attack hit him square in the chest as he tried to back away. Within moments, ice began to expand across his body, encasing his chest and legs within seconds.

"Oh no..." Shauna then said nervously.

"That's not good," Clemont murmured, adjusting his glasses. "With the damage from those Metal Claws and Counter, Mudkip won't be able to take much if he's left vulnerable to much more."

"Mudkip!" Trevor called out, surprisingly not sounding worried. "I know you can break out of this. Show them what you've got!" He held up his camera, preparing to take a picture. "I believe in you!"

"Metal Claw!" Sasha shouted out, obviously not worried. "Finish this thing!"

As Weavile rushed towards Mudkip, claw glowing a bright white, Ash looked towards Mudkip. The Mud Fish Pokemon had its eyes narrowed, watching its incoming opponent with determination. As Trevor called out to him once more, he seemed to grow even more determined, eyes flashing and body tensing outside of the ice. Then, he began to glow.

"It's evolving!" a Laverre student in the crowd said suddenly, sounding worried. Many other murmurs followed, and as the light expanded, with Weavile closing in, the crowd was watching with intense interest.

"MARSHTOMP!"

"Weavile!"

When the Metal Claw slashed out, the ice was shattered, a tail with rushing water around it coming up to block the strike. Ash grinned as he heard the excited murmurs of his teammates, only not joining in because he was too focused on the match ahead. Mudkip was small no longer, now standing on two feet that appeared much heavier and sturdier, his darker fin twitching atop his head with focus. As he strained against Weavile, Ash could see it wasn't as close as before.

"Go Marshtomp!" Trevor then called out, snapping a picture with the order. His Pokemon answered his call, sending Weavile flying back with a shout, before turning and preparing a final attack. "Now use Mud Shot!"

"MARRR!" Marshtomp cried out, unleashing a barrage of the mud balls, the attack crashing against a stunned Weavile and knocking him back to the ground as he struggled to get up.

"And finish with another Aqua Tail!" Trevor commanded, looking as confident as ever as he made the order.

Sasha could only watch with wide eyes as Weavile stared ahead himself, defenseless as Marshtomp ran forward. "Vile..." it said nervously, before the watery tail crashed into it, sending it flying through the air, before it landed hard on the ground, just a few feet from the referee.

"Weavile is unable to battle!" he announced, raising an arm to Trevor and Marshtomp. "The winners are Trevor and Marshtomp. Lumiose University gets the point!"

Ash and his friends cheered loudly while the Laverre students applauded halfheartedly. They were recovering fairly quickly, though, as Trevor and Sasha began making their way off the battlefield. Ash was pretty sure why, suddenly feeling his heart racing, glancing up to Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Pika!" the electric type said, narrowing his eyes and smiling.

Ash smiled back, looking to the other side of the field, where Anton had risen, ready to head out. "It looks like it's down to me vs Anton."

* * *

Serena fidgeted uncomfortably as she watched Ash head out to the battlefield, pausing to congratulate Trevor on his win. While it was great that Trevor had won, Serena couldn't help but feel nervous for what was to come. Obviously this match would decide whether or not the Lumiose Battle Team would qualify for the IPL Playoffs, but what Serena was most concerned about, was how Ash and Greninja's connection would hold up, considering the last match with Anton.

"You okay, Serena?" Dawn asked from next to her, apparently having noticed her fidgeting.

"Yeah," Serena answered, somewhat distractedly as Ash and Anton reached their battle positions. The referee was stepping forward. "It's just..."

"Yeah...I know," Dawn said, looking ahead as she took a deep breath. "Last time was scary. But Ash has worked hard. He and Greninja won't let that happen again."

Serena sighed, not so sure, but nodding as Ash and Anton called out their Pokemon. She couldn't help but notice that Scizor looked particularly menacing in the bright sun, his red, steel body shining brightly. "I hope you're right," she said, listening as the referee held up an arm.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Aerial Ace!"

"Bullet Punch!"

Serena had come to expect fierce attacks from many Pokemon competing in the IPL, especially from Ash's Pokemon. She'd even expected this clash to be even more extreme than the last time Greninja and Scizor had faced off. She, her team, and all the Laverre students weren't prepared for this, however.

 _BOOM!_

As Greninja and Scizor met in the centre of the battlefield, the shock wave from the collision might've shaken the city for all Serena knew. It made Mudkip's Bide and Diggersby's Hammer arm from the previous battles seem like light breezes. This had everyone nearly falling over in their seats, while the referee on the sidelines _actually_ fell over, scrambling back to get some distance as the two Pokemon jumped back, preparing another strike immediately, them and their trainers not bothered in the slightest. Only Bonnie seemed as untroubled as them, cheering loudly for the powerful clash.

"Yeah!" Ash yelled confidently as he pumped his fist, looking fired up. "This is gonna be awesome! Greninja, get in there with Night Slash!"

"We'll see if you keep enjoying this once we're done with you," Anton responded, thrusting his arm forward. "Counter with Fury Cutter!"

"Gren!"

"Zor!"

Once again, the two speedy Pokemon were shooting forward again, Greninja with a menacing purple blade extended out in front of him, while Scizors pincer appeared to straighten out and sharpen, shining in a red light. They shook the field again with their collision, crying out as each tried to overpower the other. Serena had never seen two Pokemon appear to put so much effort into their strikes. It was both inspiring and intimidating to watch.

"Anton might act like he's not interested, but it's pretty clear he and Scizor desperately want to beat Ash," Clemont said, looking uneasy as he tried to steady himself in his seat. "I bet they feel the last match wasn't properly concluded."

Serena nodded, thinking that might very well be the case. As Greninja and Scizor once again broke apart, each panting with the effort from their first two attacks, she remembered Anton's desire to battle Ash way back at the Coumarine Dance. Based on what was happening so far in this battle, Ash had clearly been looking forward to taking on Anton again as well. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, realizing he'd put it off to stay with her that night. She wanted him to win more than ever now.

"Go Ash! Go Greninja! Don't give up!" she yelled, her friends joining in as she cheered.

Ash appeared to grin at the cheers, and in response, Greninja glanced back at him with a knowing look. "You heard them, Greninja!" Ash called out to him. "Our friends are supporting us, so we can't let them down! Let's show our full power!"

"Gren!" the Ninja Pokemon responded, turning and holding up his fist as he stared ahead at Scizor.

"We'll get much much stronger!" Ash yelled. "YEAH!"

As trainer and Pokemon yelled, a torrent of water burst up from Greninja, shooting high into the sky while he glowed from within. Serena could just barely see his form changing, the red and black appearing, his skin lightening, and, as the torrent began to drop, the water forming a shuriken on his back.

As Ash-Greninja stood proudly in front of his trainer, looking ahead to Anton and Scizor, the former clearly knew he needed to respond in kind. "If you want to play things that way..." he said, pulling his Key Stone from the bandana around his neck. "Scizor, show your true power. Show _our_ true power. MEGA EVOLVE!"

The crowd cheered wildly at the display of first Greninja's transformation, and now the glowing lights from the Mega Evolution stones that signaled the transformation of Scizor. As the lights finally dimmed, Serena took a deep breath, nervously watching the menacing pincers that had grown much larger with Scizor's Mega Evolution.

"Marvelous!" Professor Sycamore called out excitedly. "After their interruption last match, I'm sure this will be an excellent battle of Mega Evolution!" He shrugged a moment later. "Well...Mega Evolution and the Bond Phenomenon."

Bonnie's excitement was much simpler. "Go Ash-Greninja! Kick his butt!"

"Bonnie!" Clemont whined, pulling his sister back as she got to her feet and cheered.

And with that, both trainers were ready to continue, and Serena knew that with their powered up forms, the next clash would be even more intense than the first couple. They proved her right immediately, with Ash ordering another Aerial Ace, followed up by a Night Slash, while Anton responded with a Bullet Punch and Fury Cutter combination.

The two Pokemon almost appeared to teleport from their original locations, meeting at the centre of the field while dust clouds shot up from where they'd been an instant before. At first, Greninja's kick from Aerial Ace, and Scizor's closed pincer from Bullet Punch clashed with an earth shaking force, causing the crowd to cry out in surprise once more. Then, the two followed it up with Scizor's other pincer coming up with Fury Cutter, while Greninja flipped over to bring down his purple blade from Night Slash, again, shaking the entire field and the crowd right next to it.

Each trainer wanted to keep up the intensity this time, however, and Serena knew something was going to have to give. Ash appeared ready to ensure Anton and Scizor would be the first to bend, calling quickly for Greninja to leap back and use Double Team. Anton was quick to respond to that, however, ordering an Agility from Scizor to keep his speed up.

"Watch out for Aerial Ace!" Anton ordered. "They'll try to get around you. Keep your focus and use Fury Cutter!"

Ash seemed to have expected Anton's caution, though, apparently perfectly willing to engage. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

"Gren!" Greninja cried out, each of his copies rising up around the darting Scizor and preparing to throw their watery ninja stars. "Ninja!"

As they unleashed their shurikens, Scizor moved quickly, bringing up his glowing red pincer and slashing at each as they headed towards him. Eventually, he struck out with all the force he could muster as the real one hit, grunting with the effort, before spinning around quickly.

"Now counter his Aerial-"

"Night Slash!"

"Ninja!"

"Zooorrr!"

Serena and her friends cheered as Scizor was sent crashing to the ground, dust shooting up from the field as Greninja straightened out above him, a purple blade in his grasp. Anton looked stunned, clearly having expected Ash to have Greninja attack with Aerial Ace from behind Scizor. The last thing he'd expected was for Greninja to attack head on, hidden only by the Water Shuriken.

"Nice move, but that won't be enough," Anton vowed, clenching his fist as Scizor got to his feet. "Vacuum Wave!"

"Zor!" Scizor responded, immediately flying up, his pincers shaking violently, before suddenly spinning rapidly in circles. They appeared to be creating tornadoes in front of them, and Serena blinked in surprise as suddenly a massive wave of windy energy was blasted forth, swirling around before crashing hard into Greninja.

"Gren!"

"Agh!"

"Ash..." Serena leaned forward in worry as Greninja hit the ground, Ash wincing as he did so. He stayed upright, though, grinning despite clearly having felt the hit.

"I forgot about that move. It's pretty strong.." He then took a deep breath, Pikachu looking at him in concern, before Ash gave him a quick nod to comfort him. "All right, Greninja, let's keep it going! Use Water Shuriken! Then hit him with Night Slash!"

Anton wasn't going to let the attack hit that easily, though, instantly ordering a counter. "Agility to dodge it! Then use Bullet Punch!"

"Gren!" Greninja grunted out, bending low as he plucked the shuriken off his back, aiming towards Scizor, before unleashing it with all his might.

The water attack spun towards Scizor rapidly, but unfortunately, the Pincer Pokemon was just too quick, darting out of the way with his increased speed. However, Greninja was ready for that, already leaping into the air, ready to intercept as Scizor flew to the side, swinging out with the purple blade of Night Slash and striking Scizor hard on the side.

"Zor!" Scizor grunted in pain, veering away as he winced, but desperate not to be outdone. "Scizor!" he then cried out, darting back towards Greninja and swinging forward with his pincer, smashing it hard into Greninja's chest and knocking him hard into the ground, causing Ash to stumble again from the pain.

"I hope Ash can handle this..." Shauna murmured nervously. "These look like stronger attacks than even the last time these two battled."

"He can do it," Tierno said confidently, tapping his feet. Serena wasn't sure if he was trying to keep a beat for the battle, or if he was nervous. "Remember, he trained against that Crabominable that Hala showed off at Professor Sycamore's tournament. There aren't many training partners better than that."

Serena thought that was a good point, smiling as she noticed Ash looking more pumped up. She couldn't help but worry a little bit, but he _did_ seem more prepared this time. And he certainly seemed to be enjoying himself despite the strain of it all.

"All right, Greninja, let's use Double Team!" he ordered, sweeping his arm out in front of him, Greninja responding immediately as he split off into dozens of copies.

"Not this time!" Anton shouted, smirking as he tilted up his sunglasses to peer ahead. "Scizor, use Agility and combine it with Vacuum Wave!"

"Zor!"

Despite Greninja's copies spreading out all in front of Ash, Serena could see that he was uneasy by the darting Scizor, watching as the pincers whirled around just as they had before. Then, suddenly, a wave of energy seemed to form in a wide arc around the many copies, Scizor's Agility apparently spreading out the attack. Before Ash and Greninja could react, the attack blew over the field, striking all the copies almost at once. Serena could hear Greninja cry out as he was hit, and it seemed Anton was ready to keep it up.

"Bullet Punch, let's go!"

"Zor!" Scizor cried out, locking onto the staggering Greninja a moment later and shooting forward, appearing like a red streak through the air as he darted down. He slammed his massive pincer hard into Greninja as he reached him, but while Greninja seemed to be in pain, Ash wasn't going to give in.

"Use Water Shuriken, quick!" Ash shouted, his voice pained as he held his chest.

"Gren!" Greninja cried out, bringing out the shuriken and flinging it towards Scizor as he was thrown back. It seemed to work, as he hit the ground hard, but appeared to have landed his own strike well enough.

"Zor!" Scizor grunted, stumbling back and landing on the ground with a thud as the Water Shuriken exploded against him. He panted as he looked ahead to Greninja, the Ninja Pokemon rising and panting as well. Serena was almost sure she saw a nod pass between them.

Ash was the first to break the silence. "All right, Greninja, let's do this! Use Double Team!"

"Scizor, start using Agility!" Anton countered. Serena was pretty sure she knew where this was going, and clearly Anton wanted to counter Ash's move if it was going to work.

"Gren!" Greninja cried out as he leaped high into the air, copies shooting out around him and spreading along his side of the battlefield.

Meanwhile, on Scizor's side, the Pincer Pokemon was darting around furiously, almost appearing to be in two places at once himself at different moments. He already seemed to be building the energy he would need for his counter, and Serena could see that Anton knew it, the Laverre Battle Team captain grinning as he punched the air with his next command.

"Now, build up a Vacuum Wave, Scizor!"

"Greninja, we'll use all our power!" Ash yelled in answer. "Water Shuriken!"

"Zor!"

"Gren!"

The crowd was silent as they watched the two Pokemon prepare their big moves, almost as though everyone was holding their breath. Serena couldn't blame them, staring with wide eyes as Greninja's copies began to converge on one point, a Water Shuriken at the centre growing larger and larger as it began to spin. Meanwhile, Scizor's side appeared to have a significant counterattack being prepared, his swirling pincers whipping up the air all across the field as he darted around.

Then, finally, Ash and Greninja cried out, the true Greninja emerging from the copies, his Water Shuriken spinning rapidly above him, starting to glow red. "Let's go, Greninja! WATER SHURIKEN!"

"VACUUM WAVE!" Anton countered, Scizor crying out loudly as well.

Serena gasped as she watched Scizor thrust forward with his pincers, just as Greninja flung the shuriken down. The two attacks appeared unstoppable, and Serena was sure neither would give. The crowd seemed to think so as well, many now murmuring nervously as the two attacks rushed towards each other. When they clashed, Serena was sure a massive explosion would shake the field again.

But nothing happened.

"It didn't do anything!"

Serena's eyes widened, realizing Clemont was right, seeing Ash and Greninja's Water Shuriken die out as soon as it reached Scizor's Vacuum Wave. It didn't appear that it had been overwhelmed, either, but rather that had simply...failed. Serena quickly looked over to Ash, worried that he might've passed out again, or would be knocked out if the Vacuum Wave hit Greninja. Apparently, though, he was still in the fight, and wouldn't give up.

"Quick! Night Slash!"

"Gren!"

It was just in time. Greninja managed to form two purple blades in tune with Ash's call, and quickly crossed them in front of himself, just as Scizor's Vacuum Wave reached him. While it appeared almost impossible, Serena could see that somehow, the blades held the wave of energy at bay, purple sparks shooting out in front of him as he strained against it. Anton wasn't going to miss his chance to strike, though, quickly ordering another attack for Scizor!

"Bullet Punch!"

"I know you can take it, Greninja!" Ash shouted in answer. "Strike back with Aerial Ace!"

Then, suddenly, Scizor was shooting forward, a pincer pulled back and glowing white. Greninja still strained against the Vacuum Wave energy while Scizor approached, but Serena could see his legs tensed up, starting to glow. She bit her lip nervously, realizing just how close this would be.

"Zor!" Scizor struck Greninja with all his might, and Serena could see the Ninja Pokemon, and Ash, dazed from the hit, nearly slipping and allowing the Vacuum Wave to take over. Somehow, they held on, though, the purple blades of Night Slash still sparking as they held on. And, with the last remaining energy they seemed to have, Greninja kicked out his legs, striking Scizor in the chest and letting the Vacuum Wave shoot up into the air, some of it striking both Pokemon as they staggered from the exchange of blows.

 _BOOM!_

The crowd gasped as the Vacuum Wave exploded high in the sky, almost appearing to disrupt the clouds. But what surprised Serena the most, was what lay on the field. She could see two shapes, glowing as they remained motionless in front of their trainers. A moment later, both Greninja's and Scizor's forms reverted to normal.

The crowd remained silent as the referee stepped forward, looking to each Pokemon cautiously, before raising both arms up. "Both Greninja and Scizor are unable to battle! The battle is a draw! The IPL rules state that in the event of a draw, both teams shall receive one point. As such, both Laverre University and Lumiose University receive a point!"

The crowd seemed conflicted on whether or not to cheer, but surprisingly, they joined in when Serena and her friends began to, the realization hitting them. Serena high fived Dawn as they looked up at a monitor displaying the updated standings. It was official now.

"We're going to the playoffs!"

 **Author's Note:**

And so...PLAYOFFS! Ah...that is a good feeling, isn't it? Just knowing the good stuff is really close...oh yeah. Anyway, obviously a big battle between Ash and Anton here. Hopefully it met expectations (or exceeded...I don't know). I felt Greninja pulling out enough to get a draw after the shuriken move failed again would be a nice bit of progress on that front. As for Clemont and Trevor, unfortunately Clemont lost. You know...dramatic final battle required one to lose, and Trevor needed a win. I kind of like that to get through these big final matches and clinch the playoffs, Shauna, Tierno and Trevor needed to be the heroes. Hopefully it worked out.

Anyway, next chapter is a break from intense rivalry and battling. See you then!


	20. Ninja-lola

**Author's Note:**

A milestone chapter...sort of. Ah, it's nice to hit chapter 20. We're approaching the good stuff now. Just a wee bit more set up here, though. Hope you enjoy.

 **Chapter 20: Ninja-lola**

Meowth was growing more and more frustrated each day that he and his companions remained in the cave just outside the Wetlands. They'd decided to wait and heal up after the fall from the hunter base, with Meowth's head still aching when he moved too much, and with both Wobbuffet and Skiddo still banged up as well. They might've risked finding another place, but Meowth was a little nervous about attracting attention from the Wetlands Pokemon given what he'd done with Jessie and James to their water supply. Skiddo had also noticed hunters still near the area as well, searching a forest north of the cliff, and they definitely didn't want to be caught by them.

Meowth wasn't sure quite yet if he found it comforting that the hunters hadn't targeted the Wetlands Pokemon, or ominous. He supposed it was still risky if they planned to attack trainers at the IPL Playoffs, as it would attract a significant amount of attention. With it being near their base, too, it would be more difficult to keep out of the way of any investigations. He also supposed the Wetlands Pokemon would be a bit more capable of fighting back as well, which could make future plans more difficult if they needed to recover.

The thought of the hunters' plan to attack the IPL Playoffs made Meowth think of Jessie and James as he lay on his nest of leaves that Skiddo had gathered for him. If none of this had happened, they probably would've been planning on some kind of attack of their own. They would've been targeting Pikachu most of all of course, but they would've been excited by the likely strong Pokemon that other trainers would've brought. And surely plenty of the teachers had strong Pokemon to nab as well.

Meowth sighed as he imagined what they might've done. For some reason, he couldn't imagine it being anything like what he assumed the hunters would do. Really, he couldn't imagine them succeeding in the end. Was that because they weren't as prepared as the hunters would be, though? Was it because the hunters had more people and Pokemon to use?

"Maybe we just ain't that evil," Meowth murmured to himself, clapping a paw to his mouth as the words escaped his lips. He looked to Wobbuffet in horror, hoping his old Team Rocket companion hadn't heard him. Fortunately, Wobbuffet seemed to be sleeping, lying on his side and facing the opposite wall of the cave.

A small smirk came to Meowth's face as he watched Wobbuffet a moment. Part of him couldn't help but think it was a bit of a break for Wobbuffet to not have to deal with Jessie getting angry at him for his noise, or popping out of his pokeball randomly. Of course, he knew that wasn't true. He'd seen Wobbuffet looking longingly outside the cave every night, and he knew Jessie, deep down, cared for him as well.

He looked to the entrance to the cave as Skiddo arrived, the Mount Pokemon done his morning patrol. He'd been the healthiest of the three, and seemed to be the most capable of scouting out the area around the cliff, so he'd taken it upon himself to keep an eye out. Meowth had been nervous at first, but Skiddo had done well, and since it seemed to be increasing his confidence to help so much, it seemed a good thing to continue if he was careful.

"Anything new out there, pal?" Meowth asked Skiddo, sitting up and smiling as he noticed the berries the Mount Pokemon had brought. He noticed Wobbuffet stirring as well as he shuffled over to sit with them.

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo bleated out in answer, lying down in front of Meowth and Wobbuffet and sliding each of them their share of the berries. "Doo-oo-oo!" He sounded fairly upset.

Meowth fiddled with his charm as he thought on what Skiddo had said for a moment. "So you got a glimpse of some more hunters, huh?" Skiddo nodded as Meowth looked nervously outside the cave, where it seemed peaceful despite the situation. "And dey were in trucks?"

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo bleated out again, a little more upset, before looking down sadly at his berries. "Doo-oo-oo..."

Meowth frowned, tail flicking nervously. "Transferring Pokemon, huh? I guess dey got some more, or maybe der moving some away since we got out of der."

"Wobba wob wobba?" Wobbuffet asked a moment later, eating some of his berries as he looked to Skiddo, and then Meowth. "Wobba."

"You wanna try rescuin' some of dem?" Meowth asked, flicking his tail nervously again. It would make up for failing to get out the ones that had accompanied them before when they'd escaped. It could even be a way to better understand what the hunters were planning with the school attack. If he could figure more out about that, Meowth thought it might even be worth telling the twerp and his friends what he knew. "Tink it's possible, pal?" he asked Skiddo, turning to the Mount Pokemon.

Skiddo looked very uneasy, but seemed to consider it as he chewed on one of his berries. After a moment, he swallowed, and looked Wobbuffet and Meowth both in the eyes. "Doo-oo-oo," he answered, nodding. "Doo-oo-oo."

"Yeah, we'd need ta be super careful," Meowth agreed, scratching his chin as he thought. Their wounds did seem to be healing, so if they took another couple days to recover, they might just be able to do something. "How soon do ya tink we'd need ta act?"

Skiddo didn't seem to know the answer to that, looking uneasy once more. "Doo-oo-oo," he bleated out sadly.

"Yeah, we probably ain't got much time," Meowth agreed, looking to Wobbuffet, who still looked tired and beaten up. The Patient Pokemon gave him a determined look, though, as though willing to fight regardless of how beaten up he was. The idea made Meowth nervous, especially considering his head still didn't feel too great.

"Wobba wobba wob," Wobbuffet then said, gesturing to him and Skiddo, before shaking his head at Meowth. "Wobba."

"No way!" Meowth argued. "I ain't lettin' you guys go out alone for this. If you guys try ta rescue those Pokemon, I'm gonna help ya."

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo said nervously, shaking his head as well, before reaching out a vine to pat Meowth's shoulder. "Doo-oo-oo."

Meowth narrowed his eyes, which unfortunately made his head hurt. "We gotta stick this out together, you guys. I ain't lettin' you get in danger and leavin' me safe and sound. I'll be fine. We just gotta come up with a foolproof plan ta sneak some of dem Pokemon outta der."

"Wobbaaa," Wobbuffet then cried out, lunging at Meowth to hug him awkwardly. "Wobba!"

"Yeah, same here," Meowth told him, patting his back. "We're gonna be okay, guys. Besides, we'll be able ta fight off more hunters if we can get some more backup."

"Doo-oo-oo!" Skiddo said, sounding a little more confident. "Doo-oo-oo!"

Meowth grinned, putting a paw out, his companions reaching out as well. "So are we agreed? We're gonna take on dem hunters again, and dis time, we're gonna win and free some Pokemon!"

"Wobba!"

"Doo-oo-oo!"

* * *

James looked up towards the cliffs in the distance for what must've been the hundredth time that day. For some reason, he felt drawn to it. Jessie had been telling him he was crazy, yelling at him to pay more attention as they worked on their various tasks, but he'd caught her staring a few times as well. He supposed that they might both be crazy, though. He'd seen a couple of shapes up there from time to time, but according to Keanan, Pokemon often moved into the caves on the cliffs at different points, moving on after awhile, or simply coming to live in the Wetlands after seeing the Pokemon there and deciding it was safe.

The thought of Keanan brought James' attention to the warden, seeing him attending to a garden by his house with his Bellsprout. While he had been quite cautious of Jessie and James, which James supposed was understandable, he had surprisingly been fairly welcoming after coming to see them with the twerp's Goodra. After hearing their story and learning what they were up to, he had kept an eye on them for a couple of days while allowing them to rest up. He'd obviously heard of the hunter activity himself, and had decided to put their issues aside for the time being, and had even had some of the flying type Pokemon in the Wetlands set out to look for Meowth and the others, and potentially the hunters.

James had been relieved to have some help in looking for Meowth, and considering they had better searchers looking, he and Jessie had eventually decided to help Keanan with some work around the Wetlands. It wasn't the typical warden work that Keanan did, however. With the situation being what it was, they had decided the Wetlands would need to be some sort of base to prepare for what they needed to do next about the hunters. The Pokemon in the area had also decided they needed to be prepared, and James had suggested he and Jessie help to train them up a bit.

Keanan had been hesitant at first, but he was clearly worried about the hunters eventually attacking the Wetlands Pokemon, and had agreed in the end. With the twerp's Goodra and the Florges that they had once manipulated, they had developed a fairly good training program after a couple of days. James was quite pleased with it, and while he didn't want to admit it to Jessie, he was happy doing something somewhat good for once.

"Goodra goo!"

James turned at the sound of the dragon type Pokemon's cry, seeing it firing off a small Ice Beam towards a rock, demonstrating it to a group of Wooper. Jessie was at his side, nodding as though she had something to do with it. While he and Jessie _had_ helped, James still couldn't deny that Goodra had likely been the most influential when it came to the training program. He seemed to have taught some of the Pokemon a few things already, but with it having been peaceful for so long, they likely hadn't been pushed too hard. The urgency was there now, however.

"Wooper!" the lead Wooper then cried out. It was the one that had brought Jessie and James in from the forest, and it seemed to be Goodra's best friend. At its cry, it and the other Wooper fired out a joint Water Gun attack towards the rock that Goodra had hit. James was impressed with the force of it, seeing that while it wasn't as powerful as Goodra's attack, the combined Water Gun definitely had improved since the intense training had begun.

"Goodra!" Goodra cheered happily once the attack had finished, looking pleased as the Wooper responded with their own cheers.

"Yes, well, it was fine," Jessie muttered, folding her arms. "But if you expect the hunters to be afraid of that, you're in for a surprise. All our Pokemon were taken from us with attacks far stronger than that just on their own."

"Jess..." James looked awkwardly over his shoulder, seeing Keanan watching them now. The warden didn't look pleased. "We agreed not to-"

Jessie snorted, dismissing his words with a wave of her hand. "They need to be ready for what's ahead. If those hunters attack this place, we're finished. Even if we had ten times the Pokemon that are here, they'll have more. And each one will be stronger than all these Wooper combined."

James frowned. The terrifying thing was that she wasn't the least bit wrong. Considering what had happened with the attack that had led to Meowth and the others being kidnapped, James wasn't even sure that if all the Wooper were as strong as Goodra that the Wetlands would be safe. He knew they had to try, though. At the very least, if the hunters did attack, they wouldn't find Pokemon that went to them without a fight.

He was about to respond to Jessie when he heard Keanan approaching them. "I thought we agreed not to intimidate the Pokemon for these training exercises. If I'm to continue trusting you to help these Pokemon, I don't want to see you scaring them half to death."

"If they're not scared, they're not ready," Jessie argued, glaring at nothing while Keanan studied her, appearing frustrated as his Bellsprout moved to his side. "Those hunters won't be held back if they come here. Not with attacks like that."

"Goo goodra!" Goodra snapped, narrowing his eyes as he looked to Jessie. "Goodra!"

James gulped nervously at that. "Jess, I think we should listen-"

"Wooper!" Everyone stared in surprise at the lead Wooper as he hopped in front of Jessie, first looking determinedly up at Goodra, then Keanan, and then his fellow Wooper. "Wooper! Woo woop wooper!" it cried out, apparently giving some kind of speech as it gestured at the rock they'd sent their attacks at, before looking to Jessie and James, and then back to Goodra. "Wooper!"

"Bellsprout sprout bell bellspout," Keanan's Bellsprout then said, looking up to a surprised Keanan. James had come to realize that Keanan appeared able to understand, at least roughly, what his Bellsprout said to him, particularly when it gave emphatic gestures like it was doing now.

Keanan paused a moment as he considered the Wooper and a surprised Jessie. He scratched his chin as his eyes returned to Bellsprout, who nodded to him, before he stared ahead to Wooper. "So Wooper, you're saying you want to be pushed this hard? You want to know the truth so that you can be prepared to fight these hunters whenever and wherever they may show up?"

"Wooper!" Wooper nodded in agreement, looking seriously towards a surprised Goodra, before hopping down to join his group.

"Wooper!" the rest of them added, nodding as well.

Keanan sighed at that, but shrugged as he noticed a few of the other Pokemon that hadn't been training in this exercise now emerging to voice their own agreement. "Well, I suppose if you all feel the same, there's not much that I can do. You are all wild Pokemon, and can do as you wish. I'll do what I can to protect you, and if you feel that means allowing these two to help you train, even with what they have to say...very well."

"Well, if that's that," Jessie said, sniffing to show her frustration with the interruption. "I think it's time to continue. Goodra, show them-"

"Swanna! Swanna!"

James jumped at the sudden noise, looking up and seeing three shapes in the sky, rushing towards them. For a moment, he was worried they were under attack, but he quickly relaxed, at least a little bit, when he saw that they were Swanna from the Wetlands. It did appear, however, that they were quite upset, and from the look on Keanan's face, he was worried by their upset appearance.

"Is something wrong?" the Warden asked, as Jessie, Goodra and the Wooper came closer to hear what was going on. "Were you attacked?"

The lead Swanna shook its head, before looking to Keanan's Bellsprout, obviously aware it could somewhat help Keanan understand the situation. "Swanna swan swanna!"

"Bellsprout!" Bellsprout cried out in surprise as Swanna continued, wildly flapping its wings. He turned to Keanan, looking very alarmed and began to gesture wildly himself. "Sprout! Bellsprout sprout bellsprout!"

Keanan's eyes widened, and he glanced at Jessie, James and Goodra, looking uneasy, before returning his gaze to Bellsprout. "The hunters have been spotted?"

"Sprout!" Bellsprout nodded, Swanna voicing its confirmation as well.

Keanan nodded, swallowing nervously, before looking back to Jessie, James and Goodra again. "There's activity nearby from the sounds of things. It's unclear if they're planning an attack on the Wetlands, but we need to be sure."

"We can go check it out," James suggested. "A small group of us so we won't be noticed."

"You'll need strong backup as well," Keanan said, looking to Goodra. "Not that Goodra's small and easy to miss, however."

"Goodra goo!" Goodra said, looking determined to help out regardless.

"Do you think you can stay close enough in case we need you, but hidden enough to not be noticed?" James asked Goodra, thinking they should at least be able to find some coverage. Goodra would definitely be useful to have around in case anything went wrong.

"Goodra," Goodra nodded, his expression serious.

"Wooper!" the lead Wooper cried out, clearly wanting to join as well.

Keanan looked unsure, but Jessie appeared to have developed a soft spot for the Wooper. James supposed that because it agreed with her, she would think highly of it for awhile now. "All right, we'll bring Wooper and Goodra with us, along with the Swanna. Any more than that and we might be seen. If we find out they're planning an attack, we'll get back as soon as we can. If we're caught, the Swanna can get back here to warn you to flee."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Keanan said uneasily.

"It won't," James promised, taking a deep breath as he looked towards the cliff in the distance again, feeling like he could see some kind of movement there. "We'll be careful."

Keanan nodded. "Well...good luck. It's good to have you guys on our side this time."

And with that, the scouting mission had begun.

* * *

Hala sat back in his chair at his desk while his students made their way out of the classroom, the day's lesson now finished up. It had been a long one, and he'd needed to explain much. Fortunately, his grandson's eagerness had appeared to rub off on the other students, and they'd all appeared to enjoy the lesson.

It always felt good to teach eager to learn students, and Hala never wanted to let them down when they wanted more information. In that, today's lesson was a success. Unfortunately, he couldn't help but feel there was an eager to learn trainer out there that he was currently failing.

As the last student left his room, Hala pulled open a drawer at his desk, removing a couple of books and a collection of notes he'd been taking throughout his research. When he layed the books and notes out on his desk, he paused to peer at one of the books. It was one of Professor Sycamore's books on Mega Evolution, and it had been very engrossing. Unfortunately he couldn't seem to find what he needed in Sycamore's work. Not everything at least.

"Mega Evolution...the Bond Phenomenon..." Hala leaned back in his chair, holding the book up and continuing to look at it. "There's clearly a connection, but what could it be?"

Sycamore's work clearly demonstrated that the connection was clear. It seemed the bond required for Mega Evolution brought out the hidden strength in a Pokemon. The Bond Phenomenon required the same, although the powerful Key Stone and Pokemon specific Mega Stone were not required.

Hala thought back to his training battles with Ash and his Greninja. As Professor Sycamore had said, the bond being as strong as it was appeared to be part of the reason no stones were needed. There was something unique about Ash that could bring about that connection and power with a Pokemon. "But what is it in Greninja that brought about this ability?"

Hala set the book down and picked up a book on the history of Kalos. Again, it had been an engrossing book, but there had been little information on Greninja's past. A few trainers of note in Kalos' past had fought side by side with Greninja, but there appeared to be nothing significant about the powers they had. There was certainly no suggestion of anything like the Bond Phenomenom.

Hala glanced at some of his notes, which ranged from research on known abilities of Greninja such as Torrent and Protean, to notes on water type Z-Moves and instances of Mega Evolution crossing over with Z-Moves which appeared to essentially never occur. He did have a few notes on one other thing, however. The research was thin, but it was the only true connection to the topic he was looking into. Ninja Village.

The difficult thing with Ninja Village, was how the people guarded their secrets. It seemed Ash had gained their trust in the past by helping them with his Greninja, but he still hadn't learned about the transformation from them. Of course, from what Ash had said, that had been where it had first occurred. With all the mystery around it they may not have even known exactly what to make of it.

As Hala sighed, looking over his notes once more, he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, glancing up and setting his notes back down on his desk." He grinned as he noticed Professor Kukui poking his head in. "What can I do for you, Professor?"

"Brought some visitors!" Kukui answered with his own grin. Hala raised his eyebrows in curiosity as Kukui then stepped in, followed by three women.

"Professor Burnet, Doctor Wicke and President Lusamine!" Hala greeted each, nodding first to the white-haired woman that was Kukui's wife, and then to the purple-haired woman named Wicke, who was assistant to the third, a woman with long blonde hair like her daughter Lillie. "What brings you three here?" Hala asked, inclining his head to Lusamine last. "No trouble with the Aether Foundation I hope?"

"Oh no," Lusamine said with a chuckle, taking a seat along with Wicke, while Kukui and Burnet remained standing. "No trouble at all. We're actually here for you and the project you've been working on." Hala could see her eyes shift towards his notes.

"I've been doing some digging of my own," Burnet explained to Hala, bringing his attention to her. "When Kukui mentioned the trouble you two were having, I looked around to see if there was any connection with my own work." She shrugged, knowing it was unlikely. "Of course, I found nothing to suggest any connection, but Wicke got wind of what I was looking into, and Lusamine was already aware of your trip to the Kalos region to meet with Professor Sycamore and those two students at the school in Lumiose."

"We found some old research that Mohn had been working into," Wicke said, a little uneasily with a glance towards Lusamine, who had shifted her gaze outside briefly, before looking back to the two other women. "It seems...he may have looked into...something."

Hala raised his eyebrows in surprise, and he looked to Kukui, who flashed him a grin, appearing quite excited. He returned his gaze to Lusamine, however, as she began to speak. "It appears my husband had come across some connection between this...Ninja Village that you and Professor Kukui have been interested in, and the Alola region. A trainer from there must've completed the trials here, or the earlier versions of them anyway."

"Do you think they brought Z-Crystals back to Kalos?" Hala asked, wondering what could've been done to give Greninja the powers it appeared to have. He felt the energy around Z-Moves might very well be part of it, along with Mega Evolution, but this was the first time that there was any chance of there being a crossover.

"The notes don't seem to get into that," Lusamine answered, looking sadly out the window again. Hala didn't push her, knowing it was hard for her to talk of her husband's work sometimes. "Mohn did seem invested in the topic, though. It seems this trainer had become interested in Decidueye after coming to the Alola region. It's possible some sort of rivalry developed within this Ninja Village between those who desired Greninja and those who desired Decidueye."

"The assumption appears to be that there was briefly a new village set up in Alola, maybe in the Mount Lanakila area," Burnet added. "I found some mention of different signs in the area, but of course, it would've been hidden and quite small. It seems it didn't last very long either."

"Mohn seemed to think there was some sort of conflict that arose between the Kalosian Ninja Village and this one," Lusamine then continued. "Perhaps some battles were fought, but again these are very secretive people. It would've been difficult to find the signs. At some point, though, the Kalosian Ninja Village leader may have come here...with a Greninja."

Hala leaned forward, making a few quick notes on what Lusamine was saying, before looking back to her. "Did Mohn find anything out about this Greninja using a special form? Or even a special Z-Move?"

Lusamine shook her head. "There was nothing about that in the research we found. However..." She paused, looking like she was considering something. "He mentioned that some kind of peace must've been formed, and that the Alolan Ninja Village likely returned back to Kalos. In his notes he mentioned Totem Aura quite a few times. Always on its own, with a question mark. He seemed to be asking if there was any connection to various things within the story."

Hala frowned at that. He supposed that made sense, given that Z-Moves appeared to be connected to the issue. "Lusamine...would I be able to look at Mohn's research?"

Lusamine smiled at that, nodding instantly. "Of course. I've brought it with me. Although...I hope you can look over it on the plane. We might be busy when we arrive."

Hala looked curiously to Kukui, who grinned mischievously. "What do you think of another trip to Kalos? I'm thinking Ash might like to know what we've learned here. Might be worth having a look into the Totem Aura thing. Might be we can trigger that special Z-Move with a Z-Crystal."

"Maybe..." Hala wasn't so sure, but he definitely did think they were on to something. At the very least, it would be a good chance to see Ash and Greninja in action again, and see if they'd made any progress on their own.

"It sounds as though their school is going to be hosting the playoffs for their school competition," Lusamine added. "And they seem to have qualified for it as well. I'll be interested in seeing this Serena girl and her Absol after what you've told me of her."

"I'm sure you'll be impressed," Hala said with a grin. "She and Ash are each one of a kind."

"Then I guess we'd better get packed and get ready for a trip to Kalos!"

* * *

"WOOOOO!"

The cheers were loud as Serena and her friends entered the dining hall, their fellow Lumiose students applauding them as they stared ahead in surprise. Marie had warned them it might happen, after hearing about the heightened enthusiasm from some of the students at the Pokemon Centre. It was pretty clear that their IPL success hadn't gone unnoticed, and their classmates were quite proud to have been represented so well.

As they made their way through the crowds, accepting high fives and fist bumps, Serena couldn't help but feel a little like she didn't deserve the praise. While each member of the team _had_ been important throughout the season, she still couldn't forget that she'd lost points in both of her last two matches. And losing to Gabby in the last one had stung quite a bit, especially after seeing her flawlessly use Mega Evolution with her Altaria.

 _I have to figure out Mega Evolution_ , Serena told herself, embracing the brief moment of quiet as she and her friends reached the line to get their food. People were still cheering and calling out to them, but it seemed the initial rush for high fives had subsided. When they'd gotten their meals, they still had a few people come up to congratulate them while they found their seats, but otherwise, they were able to sit in relative peace.

"It looks like it's a pretty big deal we made it in, huh?" Trevor said, looking to the others. "I wonder if this'll be as big as the Kalos League once the playoffs start."

"It might be," Clemont said, looking around and appearing to blush as a few people told him how cool he was. "Professor Sycamore even mentioned Diantha might be coming for it."

"The Champion might be here?" Trevor asked, looking surprised. "That's huge! Hopefully I'll do better than I did at the League then."

"I heard Aria and Wallace might be coming as well," Marie added, not paying too much attention as she absentmindedly ate her food and tended to her Happiny at the same time. "Leagues, Grand Festivals and Masterclass showcases get most of the hype, but the IPL is still pretty big for a lot of people. You can't watch that battle between Ash and Anton and not realize that it's a super high level competition."

Ash rubbed his neck in embarrassment at that, but then looked to Serena in excitement. "If Aria's going to be here, you must be pretty excited, right Serena? I wonder what she'll think of what you've done with Absol."

"Hopefully she'll think he performs well," Serena said hopefully, although she noticed Dawn glance at her with a hint of worry in her eyes. "Same with Popplio."

"Popplio was great in your performance on the weekend," Shauna told her, giggling at the mention of the Sea Lion Pokemon. "Even Laverre's crowd loved how excited she got being on stage. She was born for this kind of thing." She gave Serena a knowing look. "Must be nice to know Ash was thinking of you when he met Popplio in Alola."

"Shauna!" Serena squeaked, face reddening as she looked at Ash. He didn't seem to have noticed what was said, though, now busy eating his food, while Pikachu dug into some ketchup.

That seemed to be the signal for the others to focus on their food as well, and they had a couple minutes of quiet as they ate, other than a few more cheers and congratulations in their direction. After a couple minutes of slow eating, however, Serena paused as Dawn nudged her from her side. She didn't seem to have eaten much either.

"Feeling down about losing?' the coordinator asked, giving her a knowing look.

Serena glanced at the others, seeing most still eating, while Trevor and Tierno were talking about their battles. When she turned back to Dawn, she nodded. "I feel like I nearly let the team down. I really thought I had a chance to beat Gabby this time, but...that Mega Evolution. If only I'd worked harder with Absol, I could've responded."

"Hey, no need to worry," Dawn told her. "Seems like Mega Evolution is pretty tough. And if what Ash does with Greninja is some version of it, it's kind of scary, too. I don't think it's supposed to be easy."

"Maybe," Serena said, sighing as she looked at her plate of food. "I just...I really want to make it work. I can tell how much it means to Absol, too. It would be like...like proving how far we've come together. It would be proving to Raphael and those hunters that he couldn't be beaten. That he never gave up and made it through whatever they tried to do to him."

Dawn smiled at that, appearing to appreciate what Serena was saying. "It _would_ be pretty cool to knock some sense into Raphael with a Mega Absol." She paused, thinking for a moment, and then looked to Ash, who was now joining Trevor and Tierno in conversation about the weekend's battles. "What does Ash think about your problems with Mega Evolving? He's still struggling with Greninja's special attack, so he must feel the same."

"He thinks I'll figure it out," Serena said, not sure if that frustrated her or made her feel better. "I think he feels he'll figure it out with Greninja as well."

Dawn laughed at that. "Of course! I guess he'll just battle his way to an answer." She then looked to Serena again, appearing unsure of what to say next, but eventually speaking up once more. "Speaking of battles, do you think you might try another one if you had the chance? It might've ended in a loss, but I thought you did really well when you battled against Brian when we took on Coumarine."

"Well...maybe next year," Serena said with a laugh. "I'm not sure I would want to risk it in the playoffs."

"That's crazy!" Dawn argued. "You did fine against Brian. It was your first official contest battle and you could've won with a couple small changes. I already noticed the effect Fantina's training had on you. And you and Absol work really well together. You nearly beat Ash of all people at Professor Sycamore's tournament! And didn't you say you beat a bunch of trainers at the Battle Maison? Ash said those are League qualified trainers."

"Well...I..." Serena hadn't thought of that. She noticed that Ash had heard what they were discussing, and had turned in her direction.

"Serena was awesome at the Battle Maison!" he said, causing her to blush and look away. "You could win eight badges for sure if you wanted to."

"I think you'd be able to get five ribbons if you wanted to," Dawn countered, grinning as Serena looked between the two trainers.

"I have thought about it..." She then admitted, looking back at Ash, who blinked curiously. "I mean...I want to be a performer and do showcases, but...sometimes a battle seems like the best way to grow with your Pokemon. And to learn something about another person. If I want to be a good performer, I need to do what I can to do that."

"If the chance comes," Dawn said, putting a hand on Serena's shoulder, "I think you _should_ battle in the playoffs."

Serena took a deep breath, looking back to Ash again, who nodded encouragingly. "I bet you'll do awesome if you do it!"

"Maybe I will..." Serena smiled softly, pulling out her pokeball that held Absol. _I'll show Gabby the power of dreaming._

 **Author's Note:**

Does Serena want to have a contest battle with Gabby? Well, that would certainly be more fun than a performance showdown, wouldn't it? Mainly because performances are absolute hell to write. Anyway...

Also have some Alola stuff in there. Nothing really significant. Just giving some kind of made up background for Greninja that works into the special shuriken thing. Hopefully it seems interesting enough, though. And as for Meowth and Team Rocket...well, we'll see what happens with them next time.

Taking a mini break to write a Bonnie chapter for later this week, but then we'll take this thing on till the end. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.


	21. A Lesson in Z-Moves

**Author's Note:**

The final chapter before the IPL Playoffs arrive in Lumiose City! However, that doesn't mean there's no action in this chapter. It's a bit of weird one for a couple moments, though, so hopefully it isn't too weird. Hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 21: A Lesson in Z-Moves**

Meowth winced as he tried to follow the activity up ahead, seeing the hunters moving around a couple of trucks as they tried to get things ready for another load of cages to be put in. His head was still bothering him from the fall from the base. Fortunately, he was able to move a little better after the few days of rest, but he still felt off. He just hoped he would have it in him to help with freeing whatever Pokemon they could.

"See anything up ahead, pal?" he asked Skiddo, as the Mount Pokemon shuffled through the bushes back to where he and Wobbuffet had been waiting.

Skiddo shook his head, not daring to open his mouth. He was still taking on the duty of doing the scouting for their trio, but he was clearly quite nervous being back among the hunters. Meowth couldn't blame him, not feeling so great about it either. Even if he wasn't still feeling off from their escape, he knew it was a risky idea to go near these people.

Fortunately, Skiddo's scouting did give them enough information for the current operation, however. It seemed only a couple truckloads of Pokemon were being transferred, potentially for some kind of sale based on what Meowth had heard a few hunters saying earlier. He was assuming that meant that the hunters were trying to get rid of some of their weaker Pokemon before they set out to try and steal the ones competing in the IPL.

"We'll have ta be ready when they bring the cages out," Meowth said after a few more moments of watching, seeing the hunters that were by the truck now just waiting around. "They don't seem ta be expecting any trouble, so we're gonna move fast."

"Wobba," Wobbuffet agreed, while Skiddo nodded nervously.

"Just in case, you're gonna need ta slash der tires, all right, pal?" Meowth said to Skiddo. "At least dey won't get away from us easily dat way." He paused, realizing that it might not be the hunters trying to get away. "And if we have ta run, we will, but dey won't catch us easy either."

They waited another moment, watching the hunters, and Meowth was about to add another couple of instructions about taking out the doors to the back of the trucks. However, in that moment, there was a commotion from further down the road as someone seemed to be calling out to the hunters by the trucks. Meowth tried to look, but was unable to see, only able to tell that there were probably about three more hunters on their way.

The new hunters came into view a moment later, though, and Meowth tensed up immediately when he saw them. It wasn't the hunters that gave him a chill as he stared ahead, mouth hanging open in surprise, it was what they had with them. He couldn't help but turn to look at Skiddo, who looked even more horrified than he felt.

"Don't worry, pal," Meowth then said, unsheathing and sheathing his claws as he stared back out at the hunters in agitation. "We're gonna free 'em, don't you worry."

"Wobba wobbuffet..." Wobbuffet agreed, sounding equally furious.

As they watched the scene in front of them, the hunters and what was with them became even clearer, the sun shining down on the road as they headed up towards the trucks. They had a group of about a dozen Rhyhorn struggling to pull a massive collection of carts. On the carts were a collection of cages, all stacked close together, each far too small to hold the Pokemon inside of them. Each cage appeared to hold the same Pokemon. Skiddo.

"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo bleated very softly from Meowth's side, pawing nervously at the ground as he watched the Rhyhorn pulling the carts.

Meowth was a little worried about having to fight the Rhyhorn when he'd first noticed them, but he quickly realized they didn't seem to be doing any of this willingly. One of the new hunters arriving seemed to have the job of going around and poking them in the side with some kind of electric prod. If they didn't respond to that, another had a remote with him that seemed to be able to shock all of them at once with collars they were all wearing. _We're gonna free them as well_ , Meowth vowed.

"Transferring a bunch of useless Skiddo, huh?" one of the hunters by the trucks said, laughing as the others arrived. "Can't be getting much out of this one. The boss must really want to clear things out for the school batch, huh?"

"Seems like it," the one with the prod said, jabbing one of the Rhyhorn for no reason and causing it to cry out in pain. He laughed as it backed away a step. "We're gonna be swimming in cash either way! We got so many Pokemon, we're golden! And we're only gonna get more, and they're gonna be even more valuable!"

"If those Mega Stones work, we don't even need to steal Pokemon anymore. We can do whatever we want with them," another added, laughing as he went over to the cages with the Skiddo, kicking one to cause a chorus of nervous bleating.

"The boss is hoping something even better than that comes along, the guy with the remote for the shock collars said. "Heard a rumour he wants to steal that weird Greninja. You know the one from the Kalos League that Mega Evolved without the stones?"

"What's he gonna do with that?" the one by the cages asked. "Guess it could go for a good price, but he's not gonna be able to copy it."

"That's what they said about Mega Stones, but those work well enough!"

"Not really. You saw that Tyranitar the other day. That was messed up."

"Eh, that guy was dumb. He took one of those old ones they were dumping by Shalour City."

"I don't think the new ones work much better."

"As long as they attack the university kids, who cares."

They all started laughing, and with that came another poke with the prod for a Rhyhorn, and a kick of a cage for the Skiddo. It had Meowth ready to attack right away, and he knew Skiddo and Wobbuffet wanted to charge in there as well. He was worried about the collars on the Rhyhorn, though. If they went in there, those Rhyhorn would be in trouble, and it wouldn't exactly be easy to get those Skiddo out if the hunters could compel the Rhyhorn to attack.

"What can we do..." Meowth muttered, glaring at the hunters. He'd been hoping they could get the jump on them and quickly free whatever Pokemon they had, but with five hunters to contend with, and Rhyhorn with collars, it was looking a lot more complicated. He thought they might be able to set a trap for the trucks further ahead, but then they wouldn't get the Rhyhorn out as well.

As he listened to the hunters laughing about the "pathetic" Skiddo shipment, he was supposing that saving them at least would be better than nothing. As much as he wanted to save them all, he knew that it was too risky charging in from here. He was about to suggest the idea to move ahead of the trucks and lay a trap, when suddenly, he heard the hunters crying out in surprise.

"What the...is it raining?!"

"Hey, it's only above the trucks!"

"What's going on?"

Meowth squinted at the scene in confusion, seeing the hunters looking around wildly, appearing completely confused. It didn't make much sense to him either as he noticed the large cloud above them. It truly did appear as though it was raining only above them and the trucks. Of course, if that was the case, there was only one thing that Meowth could think of being the cause.

"Do either of you know Rain Dance?" Meowth asked his companions, doubting it was the case. He'd never seen either use it, or try to learn it. Both Skiddo and Wobbuffet shook their heads, and he looked to the caged Skiddo and the Rhyhorn, wondering if it was them. They looked just as confused about it as him, though. "This doesn't make any sense."

"This is ridiculous! Some stupid Pokemon must be attacking us!"

"Who's out there?!" the guy with the electric prod then yelled, looking to either side of the road and holding his prod up like a sword. "What do you think you're doing?"

And then, Meowth heard something he could barely believe. He couldn't help but grin as he looked ahead of the trucks, seeing two people standing confidently, heads bowed as the hunters rushed around to see them.

"Prepare for trouble, we're here for a fight."

"And make it double, our motto's less than our bite."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

There was no way Meowth was going to miss his chance, and he knew Wobbuffet wasn't going to either. Even Skiddo seemed to realize what was going on, the Mount Pokemon rushing out behind his companions as they burst out from the forest and onto the road, stunning the hunters as they noticed a second group.

"MEOWTH THAT'S RIGHT!"

"WOBBUFFET!"

"DOO-OO-OO!"

"Meowth?!"

"Wobbuffet?!"

The joy on his old friends' faces was enough for Meowth in that moment, and he knew it would have to be. The hunters were now on alert, two of them looking ahead to Jessie and James while three kept their eyes on Meowth, Wobbuffet and Skiddo. He could see that they each had a pokeball in their hands, and he didn't want to waste a single second to see what might emerge from them. Skiddo and Wobbuffet weren't interested in that either.

"Charge!" Meowth yelled, hoping that Jessie and James at least had something they could attack with, despite not having their Pokemon. He didn't focus on that at the moment, though, leaping forward, eyes on the hunter with the electric prod in his hands.

"Ah!"

It seemed enough of a surprise attack that the hunters Meowth, Skiddo and Wobbuffet targeted were unable to get their pokeballs out, but the one with the prod managed to strike Meowth in the chest as he jumped. Unfortunately for him, Meowth had taken more electric attacks from Pikachu than he could possibly remember, and it felt like nothing in comparison. He fought right through it, shoving the prod away and unsheathing his claws, which extended with a purple glow.

"Take dis! Night Slash!"

When Meowth dropped to the ground behind the hunter, he heard a small gasp behind him, followed by three thuds as each hunter collapsed. As he stood, he felt a little dizzy from his head, but he managed to recover quickly, grinning as he noticed that Wobbuffet and Skiddo had successfully taken out a hunter each as well. Skiddo had used Vine Whip and a kick with his hooves, while Wobbuffet seemed to have just tackled his man and sat on his head. Meowth was about to congratulate the two, when he suddenly heard a blast behind him, and heard a tremendous screeching sound.

"GooooDRA!"

"Wooper!"

"Swannaaa!"

Meowth's eyes widened yet again as he saw what he was sure was the twerp's Goodra standing just behind a smirking Jessie and James. It appeared he had just used a Dragon Pulse which had crashed into the trucks. Meowth could see one had flipped over from the blast, while the other looked to have a smoking hole in the front of it. Meanwhile, Wooper and the Swanna had taken care of the other two hunters and the Machoke and Kadabra they'd released, battering them with Water Gun attacks.

For a moment afterwards, there was just silence. Then, Meowth looked up, eyes locking with both Jessie and James, and he ran forward, Wobbuffet just behind him. He was flattened in a sandwich by Jessie and James and the Patient Pokemon, but he didn't care at all. When he'd first found himself in that cage, he'd thought he might never see them again. Now, Team Rocket, _their_ Team Rocket, was back together.

Once their hug was done, Meowth was surprised to find himself plucked off the ground and in the arms of the twerp's Goodra, who also hugged him. "Goodra!" the dragon type said happily, setting Meowth back down, before smiling at him.

"Uh...yeah, good ta see you, too," Meowth said awkwardly, looking to Jessie and James for an explanation.

"It's a long story," James said, grinning.

"Guess we've both got one," Meowth muttered, grinning back. He then looked over to where Skiddo was standing, pulling off keys from one of the hunters and looking to the collared Rhyhorn and caged Skiddo. "We'll tell 'em when we've freed these guys."

"Agreed!" Jessie said, narrowing her eyes. "Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!" James added.

"Meowwwth, that's right!"

* * *

Ash was generally fidgety in most of his classes, part of him always wanting to get back to training. Agatha's classes often had him leaning forward in interest, though, as she seemed to have the ability to make it as though she was explaining something to him right on the battlefield. In her lessons on Pokemon types and type matchups, she always used Gengar or some other Pokemon to demonstrate certain things, and went over footage from Pokemo Leagues with intense battles for her examples. When watching those, Ash was as focused as he would be if _he_ was battling.

Today was no different, with Agatha discussing dark types and their weakness to fighting, bug and fairy types. He was somewhat thinking part of the lesson was for his benefit, as Agatha used Greninja as an example many times, and pointed out certain moves like Fury Cutter and Vacuum Wave as attacks that could deal a lot of damage. The idea of fighting difficult matchups often excited him, though, and he knew Greninja wouldn't back down. He was glad for the lesson regardless, though, knowing that he could still make use of some of the things Agatha discussed.

"So, remember that a match can sometimes be decided before a Pokemon is even on the battlefield if the type matchup is severely out of one trainer and their Pokemon's favour," Agatha said, finishing up her lesson. "However, with hard training and some tricks up your sleeve, you and your Pokemon can still make up the difference. Don't ever forget that. Whether it's a Charizard against a Scizor, or a Greninja against a Scizor, being prepared is the recipe for success."

With that, the class was dismissed and students quickly began collecting their things and making their way out. Ash, Clemont and Trevor were in the process of gathering their things as well, planning to rush off to the training facilities, but before they set off, Agatha called out to them. They each stopped, turning to her as the rest of the students filed out of the room.

"I hope you three aren't heading off for the IPL training session without me," Agatha said, looking amused as Ash and his friends gave each other an embarrassed look. "As I thought. Well, it's a good thing I stopped you. Today's session is on the main battlefield. Professor Sycamore thought we'd need a little more room today."

Ash looked curiously to Pikachu at that, but instantly felt excited. "Are we trying some new moves or something?"

Agatha smirked at that, collecting her cane and making her way past the three trainers and to the door, gesturing for them to follow. "I suppose you could say that. I believe we'll be having some visitors with us as well. They may have something to do with it."

"Visitors?" Ash asked, looking to Clemont and Trevor in confusion. They didn't seem to have any idea what Agatha meant either, and simply shrugged as they all followed Agatha out of the room.

Despite Agatha walking with a cane, it was difficult to keep up with her. Ash wasn't sure if that was because he and Trevor were walking at Clemont's slow pace, or if it was because Agatha was excited for the training session. He supposed it was some combination of the two, seeing that the Elite Four member seemed to be tapping her cane excitedly when they came to a stop at a traffic light.

"What's going on with this lesson?" Ash asked her as they waited. "Why is it so special?"

"Well, aside from the visitors, I would think it would be obvious why this session is special, you silly boy," Agatha muttered, keeping her eyes straight ahead, apparently daring the traffic light to keep them still. It changed a second later and they continued walking.

"Ash, we did just qualify for the playoffs," Trevor pointed out with a laugh. "Are we getting new rules or something?" he then asked, looking to Agatha curiously.

"I haven't discussed exactly what we'll be going over with Professor Sycamore," Agatha admitted, shrugging as they turned a corner. "I expect we'll be going over some new rules, however. This will be nothing like the matchups you kids have had thus far. I hope you realize that."

That seemed to get Ash and his friends even more focused, and he found he was walking faster as Clemont picked up his pace. "How much different can it get, though?" Clemont then asked after a moment, looking uneasy about asking it as Agatha turned her gaze back to him briefly.

"Well one very simple reason will be that the teams you will be battling now have each performed as well as you or better over the season thus far," Agatha pointed out. "Yes, you've had your struggles, but you also matched up against teams that finished with few wins in the end. Every team you battle against now will have a winning record."

Ash hadn't considered that, but remembered now that since the top two teams in each group made it to the playoffs, they would be battling against the best of the best now. It made him even more psyched. "I can't wait!" he said excitedly, getting a chuckle out of Agatha.

"That's the spirit," Agatha murmured as she picked up her pace.

They continued on the rest of the way in excited silence, and before too long, the battlefield was in sight. For a moment, as they turned the corner and noticed a group standing at the sidelines of the battlefield, Ash just assumed the Performance Team was already there, or just some other students or teachers. However, he quickly realized that standing with Professor Sycamore and Flint, were people with no affiliation to Lumiose University.

"It's Hala and Professor Kukui!" he called out excitedly upon seeing them, running forward ahead of the others.

As he reached them, Hala chuckled, while Kukui grinned widely, both clearly happy to be there and excited about something themselves. "Hello Ash!" Hala greeted as Ash shook their hands. "Been awhile since Alola, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it sure has!" Ash answered, thinking of all that had happened since then. "We've done a lot of training since then," he told his Alolan training partner. "And learning," he added, as Agatha and the others arrived, Pikachu giving him a warning tap on the shoulder with his tail.

"Professor Kukui," Agatha greeted him with a nod. "Been awhile since I've seen you."

"Not since I battled you and your Gengar! Fierce as a Blast Burn you were back then!" Kukui chuckled as he seemed to envision the battle before him. Ash suddenly had the urge to see them battle, but knew it wasn't the time right this moment. "And you two must be Clemont and Trevor!" he said, looking to the other Battle Team members. "Ash has spoken highly of you both."

"He has?" Clemont asked, laughing nervously. "Well...I guess I'm not a bad gym leader, but I'd like to be better."

"The first sign of a great gym leader is the one who wants to get better even when they're already strong!" Kukui pointed out, grinning to him. "And you, Trevor! I hear you've got a fierce Charizard that can Mega Evolve. I bet Kiawe back in Alola would love to match his fire Z-Moves against you."

Trevor looked nervous at that, but managed a small smile. "I'm sure my Charizard would love the challenge."

"Kiawe's pretty strong," Ash said, remembering the Z-Move Kiawe had demonstrated. "I bet it would be an awesome battle!" As he thought of his Alola trip, he glanced at Kukui, realizing there was someone who would likely want to see him. "Oh right! Rockruff, come out and say hello!"

"RRRUFF!" the Puppy Pokemon emerged with a loud bark, instantly locking on to Kukui and running up to him.

"Haha, hey Rockruff! Great to see you again!" Kukui laughed out, petting Rockruff as his tail wagged ferociously. "You're looking really strong and healthy!"

"He's been training really hard," Ash told Kukui confidently. "He's even keeping up with Pikachu sometimes!"

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed, smiling as Rockruff barked happily.

Hala was watching Rockruff with interest. "Good to see that you've been training hard, Ash. How has it been going with Greninja? Professor Sycamore mentioned that his special Water Shuriken attack didn't work again in your last battle."

"It was a marvelous recovery, however," Sycamore pointed out, smiling sympathetically at Ash. "And you definitely appeared much more connected with Greninja than in your first match with Anton."

"I don't know what it is," Ash said, looking away in disappointment. "It feels so close every time we try it, but then it just...doesn't work."

"Well...I'm not sure how much it will help with training, but Professor Kukui and I have discovered a few potential secrets in Greninja's past that may interest you," Hala then said, looking to Professor Sycamore, who was watching in interest. Everyone was. "Lusamine of the Aether Foundation discovered some work her husband did in the past regarding the topic."

"The Bond Phenomenon was researched in the Alola region?" Clemont asked, sounding stunned. "So it's not just from Kalos?"

"It may have originated here," Kukui answered, shrugging as though that part didn't matter at the moment. "It seems as though there was a crossover with Alola at some point, however."

Ash frowned, looking to Professor Sycamore, who almost seemed more interested than he was. "Would this have to do with the Ninja Village Greninja Ash has discussed?"

Hala nodded, unable to hide a grin at Sycamore's excitement. "Indeed. Lusamine's husband, Mohn, found out that a rival village was set up in the Alola region, and there was a conflict between the two. The Alolan village rallied around Decidueye as their fierce fighter, while the Kalosian village rallied around Greninja."

"That was as much as Lusamine, her assistant and my wife were able to figure out," Kukui continued, pulling out some kind of notebook. "Although we continued going through Mohn's notes and looked at some other sources that discussed prominent trainers and stories of Greninja, Decidueye, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution. There's very little crossover, but..."

"There was one story of two trainers, rival trainers, who battled an enemy together. Something known as an Ultra Beast." Hala shivered as he said the name. Ash was curious to find out what that was, but he didn't ask, thinking he could find out later. He assumed it was some kind of powerful Pokemon, though.

"We think these must've been the rival ninja trainers," Kukui then said, before going on. "Anyway, the Alolan trainer used a Z-Move, while the Kalosian trainer enacted a strange power with his Greninja. Some kind of extreme version of Torrent."

"The Bond Phenomenon?" Sycamore asked, now looking confused for the first time.

"Perhaps," Hala answered, although he seemed unsure. "I'm thinking it might have been the beginnings, but perhaps not completed. This may have been how it began to change. You see, this Greninja would have been exposed to a great deal of Mega Evolution energy in Kalos, even if it hadn't been widely used. Now, many Pokemon would have been, and still are, but with its bond being so strong with its trainer, some of the energy may have been...drawn to it."

"So what Greninja does _is_ Mega Evolution?" Trevor asked, looking at his own Key Stone curiously. "But they don't need the stones?"

"Yes...and no," Hala said slowly. "The energy was there, but it needed something more to...mutate in a sense. Ash, you and your Infernape had a very strong bond as well, didn't you? Its Blaze was unique?"

Ash was surprised by the question, but thought back to his battles with his old fire and fighting type, including his showdown with Paul at the Sinnoh League. "I guess so, but that's not related to this, is it?"

"It is somewhat similar," Flint murmured, looking curiously at Ash. "That Infernape of yours gained a power boost from Blaze that few Pokemon could." He then shrugged. "It's not quite like Greninja, though, so who can say."

"Well, it's not like Greninja," Hala admitted, "but there is something similar in what is happening. Ash is helping each to draw out power that is hidden deep within. In Greninja's case, there is a connection to Mega Evolution, but that bond is pulling something out of the initial ability that alters it somewhat. Infernape's Blaze was altered, I believe. And with Greninja, it is Torrent, but he doesn't need to be at the very limit of his endurance to enact it."

"Fascinating..." Sycamore seemed to be putting pieces together that Ash and the others didn't fully understand yet. "So Greninja...the one from Ninja Village...it had this Torrent ability altered as well? And because it was exposed to Mega Evolution, it further mutated?"

"That's the theory so far," Kukui said, chuckling. He seemed confused by it somewhat as well, despite having done a lot of the research. "But even then...it wasn't quite done."

"In Alola...in this battle with the Ultra Beast..." Hala scratched his chin thoughtfully as he paused. "It may have been exposed to something known as Totem Aura, which is seen in powerful Pokemon in the Alola region used in our trial system. It's also connected with Z-Moves. This power, combined with the other unique factors surrounding this Greninja and its trainer, appeared to mutate the Mega Evolution energy and its Torrent ability the rest of the way into what we now think of as the Bond Phenomenon."

"Greninja's almost like a fusion of a Pokemon with a super powerful ability, a strong trainer that cares deeply for it, Mega Evolution energy and Totem Aura," Kukui then summed up, grinning at how crazy it sounded.

"So what we think is happening," Hala continued, looking at Ash now, "is that you and Greninja have yet to tap into that full power. He must be a descendant of this Greninja that had this mutated ability, but everything hasn't come together yet. He can change form using the Mega Evolution energy, but the Totem Aura with that requires an almost impossible level of clarity and focus between you two to manifest into an attack."

"Totem Aura...manifest into an attack...?" Ash stared blankly at him, before looking to Pikachu in confusion. "I'm not sure I get it."

"Ash," Kukui said, now sounding a little more serious, "what we're saying is that Greninja's special Water Shuriken attack...is a Z-Move without a Z-Crystal, as much as his form change is a Mega Evolution without a Mega Stone and Key Stone."

"As much as your bond needs to be particularly strong to enact the change in form," Hala went on, "to perform the Z-Move, it needs to be stronger. You need to be so perfectly in tune that it may be near impossible."

"Of course," Kukui said, looking to the battlefield, "there's something we can do to see if we can help nudge you along. To channel that focus a bit..."

That's when Ash noticed Kukui holding something in his hand. It was a blue crystal, shining in the bright sun. He was holding it out to Ash, while he pulled a pokeball out of his pocket. Ash grinned, feeling Greninja's pokeball shake from his belt.

"You may need to borrow this," Hala said, holding something else out to Ash.

It was his Z-Ring.

* * *

Serena smiled as she watched Absol soar through the air, striking through Braixen's Fire Blast with his Giga Impact, before Popplio shot up between them with an Aqua Jet, twirling through the air in glee. Sylveon then slowed both their descents to the ground with Fairy Wind, while Pancham finished off with a Stone Edge for Braixen to leap on top of and bow from.

"That was great you guys!" Serena called out to her team. "You're all in perfect sync! If we keep performing like this, everyone will love it!"

"Cham!" Pancham said proudly, while Popplio happily began juggling bubbles in response.

"Serena, that was so amazing!" Shauna then called out from next to the practice field where Serena was training. "Popplio and Absol look like they could've fit right in with your Masterclass performance!"

"You've got perfect rhythm, Serena!" Tierno said excitedly as well. "I want to dance more after that!"

"I wish Appeals rounds were more like performances," Dawn added, looking quite impressed herself. "I'd love to try some of those routines out."

"I'm sure you can find a way to change it up a bit for a contest setting," Serena said, thinking it wasn't too different from what she'd learned of Appeals rounds in contests, although she supposed she hadn't had a true experience with the latter to compare.

"That's an impressive group of Pokemon you've got there."

Serena turned in surprise at the new voice, seeing a woman approaching where Dawn, Tierno and Shauna were standing. Fantina was with the woman, apparently having just arrived herself. She was looking surprised, but also excited, as though this woman was quite important. There was also a girl about Serena's age trailing the two women, looking around nervously with a white Vulpix in her arms.

"Um...thanks," Serena said awkwardly, looking back to the woman. She could see the similarity between her and the younger girl, and assumed it was a mother and daughter.

"Serena, Dawn, Shauna and Tierno," Fantina said as she and her mysterious companions stopped, "I would like you to meet some of our guests from ze Alola region! Zis is Lusamine, ze President of ze Aether Foundation, and her daughter, Lillie and her Vulpix, Snowy!"

"Aether Foundation...?" Serena remembered way back to her meeting with Hala, shortly after Professor Sycamore's tournament, when he had mentioned something called that. "The organization that helps hurt Pokemon?"

Lusamine smiled at that, her gaze still trained on Serena's Pokemon. She looked back to her a moment later, though. "It's one of our more rewarding operations, but we are involved in a variety of things. I see Hala must have told you a bit about us back when he was here?"

Serena nodded, smiling as she started to head down to join the group. "Yeah, he thought I would be interested after hearing about my Absol." As she reached the group, she formally greeted the visitors. "I'm Serena. I'm a performer, training to be Kalos Queen one day!"

At that, her friends also introduced themselves, Tierno finishing by performing a little twirl and bowing in front of Lillie before Shauna pulled him back quickly. Lillie didn't appear too bothered however, looking to Serena with shining eyes. "Ash talked a lot about you when he visited Alola! I was so excited to come and meet you and your Absol!" Her eyes then went to where Popplio was absentmindedly juggling bubbles. "Aww, and he did give you that Popplio!"

Serena felt her face heating up at that, and made sure to avoid the looks of her smirking friends. "Um...I'm...honoured."

"Speaking of Ash..." Lusamine said, smiling at the reaction of the others, "I believe your...team has been asked to meet his at the battlefield. Professor Kukui and Hala are with them and Professor Sycamore discussing what they've learned about Greninja."

"Lusamine wished to accompany us so she could speak with you on ze way, Serena," Fantina said, already turning in preparation to go. "Once we are zer, Professor Sycamore will be explaining ze rules for ze IPL Playoffs."

"Awesome!" Tierno said excitedly. "I can't wait to figure out what we've got to prepare for."

"It's only going to get harder from here," Dawn told him, although she sounded just as excited.

With that, the group set off, Serena recalling all her Pokemon except Absol, who Lillie and Lusamine were clearly very interested in. He didn't look too pleased about being fussed over by strangers, but Serena appreciated that he tolerated it as they walked. He seemed to at least relax a bit as Lusamine described some of the things the Aether Foundation did for hurt Pokemon.

"We've created a habitat for many of them to recover from various injuries," Lusamine explained as they headed out of the training facilities. "It's at the Aether Paradise where much of our work is done. They all live in peace there, and some simply choose to stay even when healed."

"It would be amazing if you could perform for them sometime, Serena," Lillie suggested excitedly. "I bet they'd love it, wouldn't they, Snowy?!"

"Vulpix!" the white Vulpix cried out excitedly. Lillie had mentioned it was an 'Alolan form' Vulpix and was actually an ice and fairy type Pokemon unlike the form Serena was familiar with, which was a fire type.

"I believe Hala might've hinted at that," Lusamine murmured with a laugh, looking to Serena. "Of course...it would definitely lift some of their spirits. Despite the habitat and the work our employees do, it can always improve. A trainer with your spirit and the experience of making people and Pokemon smile...I'm sure it would do wonders."

Serena blushed at that, realizing Lusamine seemed to know exactly what strings to pull, whether she realized it or not. It did sound like it would be fun to do. "So performing isn't that big in Alola?"

"We've had performers visit," Lille answered. "Some of the trials have a performing nature to them as well. But...I think there's much more of a battle focus with the trials. My mother hopes that some kind of performance-based system like the trials can be implemented at some point."

"It would help with the Pokemon we rescue," Lusamine said, nodding at her daughter's answer. "And perhaps it would give people more to look forward to and reduce the chances of them ending up in some kind of gang like Team Skull."

"It sounds like an amazing idea," Serena admitted, looking ahead suddenly as she heard a bang in the direction of the battlefield.

"Sounds like they must be training already!" Dawn said, laughing as she also looked ahead at the noise. "I guess Ash must be trying something out with Greninja."

"Hopefully you can give us some ideas...at a later date," Lusamine suggested, smiling as Serena looked back awkwardly. Serena knew what she was hinting at, but was glad she wasn't getting pushed for an answer. She simply nodded as they continued walking, the sounds of battle getting louder. "Oh my...sounds like quite the battle."

"Is Ash using...whoa!"

Serena smiled then, seeing Lillie's eyes widen excitedly as they rounded a corner and noticed the group ahead, standing beside the battlefield. Clemont, Trevor and Flint were all tensed up in excitement as they watched the battlefield, while Professor Sycamore and Agatha watched a little more calmly, although both appearing excited themselves. Serena also noticed the familiar form of Hala a little further ahead, taking the role of referee.

"Ash is battling Professor Kukui?" Lillie said in surprise as their group joined the others, giving a silent greeting before focusing on the battlefield. "With...Incineroar?!"

Serena looked to the trainer battling Ash, realizing he was the man Ash had described battling back in Kanto during the break and who had run some training sessions in Alola. "He defeated Ash's Charizard _and_ Greninja before!" she said suddenly, remembering Ash excitedly talking about the match, despite his loss.

It seemed the battle going on now was much closer than the one Ash had described from back then, however. Greninja, in his special form, was locked in combat with a massive two-legged tiger-like Pokemon, his purple blades from Night Slash swinging up in defence of a Throat Chop attack. Incineroar's assault wasn't stopping there, however, a Flamethrower being shot forward just as he leaped back from Greninja's blades.

"Block with Water Shuriken!" Ash then yelled, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying the battle, moving in sync with Greninja and pulling an invisible Water Shuriken from his own back as Greninja performed the actual move. Serena blinked in surprise as Incineroar's attack struck, steam exploding outward as the flames hit the shuriken.

It only seemed to fire Greninja up even more, though, the Ninja Pokemon crying out in determination as he fought hard to hold off the attack. "Ninjaaa!" he yelled, Ash crying out as well, each straining hard as they bent their legs to hold their shuriken shield steady.

That was when Serena noticed what was on Ash's wrist, her eyes widening as she recognized the strange bracelet that Hala had worn back when he'd visited during the tournament. It was the same thing he'd used on Team Rocket. This time, however, there was a blue crystal in it, and Serena was sure it was glowing, and part of her was sure she saw some kind of black and red flashes as Ash and Greninja continued to strain against Incineroar's Flamethrower.

"It's happening..." Professor Sycamore whispered excitedly. "It's channeling the energy...it's helping their focus..."

Serena had no idea what that meant, but it had her heart beating excitedly. She was sure it had something to do with that special attack Greninja hadn't seemed able to pull off, though. If that was the case, Sycamore's tone implied something was close with that. She couldn't help but cheer as Ash and Greninja finally broke free of the Flamethrower, the Ninja Pokemon thrusting his shurkien forward and then leaping back.

"Nice one, cousin!" Kukui called out excitedly as he and Ash, along with their Pokemon, took a moment to breathe. "This is a battle that gets the blood pumping like a Hydro Pump!"

"You bet!" Ash said in response, holding up his fist confidently, the Z-Ring shining brightly. Ash didn't even seem to notice the crystal seemingly flashing blue, red and black. Serena could see Pikachu did, though, the electric type backing away quickly as Ash called his next order. "Let's do this Greninja! Double Team!"

"Gren!"

The copies seemed to shoot out at lightning speed. Serena and the others gasped as they watched, dozens of Greninja appearing in midair and across the field, surrounding Incineroar everywhere. The menacing fire type even looked nervous a moment. As Kukui called for a Flamethrower, Serena could hear it in his voice that it was a last ditch effort, and perhaps something to give Ash and Greninja that final push they needed.

"Now!" Ash shouted, the crystal flashing so bright now that even some of the copies were illuminated in the light. "Greninja! Z-BOND SHURIKEN!"

"GREEENNNINJA!"

Serena and the others gasped as the copies all seemed to merge at once, the light from the Z-Crystal enveloping the field as Ash raised his arm. Incineroar's massive Flamethrower looked almost pitiful as Greninja raised a giant shuriken above his head, the watery ninja star spinning in the shining light that connected Pokemon and trainer. As it spun, Serena could see the focus on Ash's and Greninja's faces. They were totally in sync. They truly looked to be one.

"Sol..." Absol murmured next to her, his Mega Stone glittering somewhat in the light. Serena could see Trevor's Key Stone reacting as well.

Sycamore seemed to notice, glancing to the two. "Amazing...the Mega Evolution energy...and the aura from the Z-Crystal...they're truly one."

At that, everyone's attention returned to the field, where Serena now noticed Kukui performing some kind of dance, he and Incineroar's movements in perfect sync. As they finished, Incineroar, glowing in a bright light of his own from Kukui's Z-Ring, Kukui then yelled out for their own attack. "Malicious Moonsault!"

None of it seemed to matter, though. Serena was sure it was probably one of the most powerful moves she'd ever seen, watching as Incineroar leaped into the air, completely covered in flames and a bright, yellow light. However, as he rushed to Greninja, the red and orange disk that was the Water Shuriken above the Ninja Pokemon's head was finally unleashed, Ash and Greninja crying out in unison as they thrust their arms forward.

 _BOOM!_

The explosion rocked the field, knocking everyone off of their feet as wind buffeted them from the colliding attacks. Serena was a little disoriented by it, but she did her best to rise to her feet as quick as possible, looking out to see the result of the massive attack. When she saw the result, she couldn't help but grin, cheering as she saw Greninja drop down in front of Ash, looking exhausted, but proud of a successful move. Meanwhile, Incineroar was down, and not appearing like he'd rise anytime soon.

"Incineroar is unable to battle!" Hala then called out. "Greninja and Ash are the winners!"

As Ash and Greninja tiredly celebrated, and the others cheered from the sidelines, Serena noticed Lusamine looking to her, smiling as her gaze rested on Absol, who looked ahead in awe towards the battlefield. "Quite the bond those two share, isn't it?"

"It's...certainly special," Serena said, laughing a bit as she looked at the two, who were now heading over to check on Kukui and Incineroar at the other end of the field. "Every trainer dreams of it."

"I suppose you and Ash are the kind of people that help trainers learn to dream of it," Lusamine pointed out, now also looking out to the field, watching Ash petting Pikachu behind his ears. Another special bond he seemed to have. "That Mega Stone on your Absol's horn...have you been successful with that?"

"Not yet," Serena admitted, Absol glancing back to her with a determined look. "But...soon."

"I look forward to seeing it."

* * *

Raphael glared in disgust at the scene in front of him. The three hunters that had been taking the Skiddo to the trucks were still lying unconscious to the left side of the road. The drivers and their Pokemon were also knocked out, lying in front of the mangled trucks. Each was now wearing one of the collars that the Rhyhorn had been wearing, even if they were loose. Raphael suppposed it was simply to make a point.

"Should we cancel our plans, sir?" one of Raphael's subordinates asked as they moved forward to further inspect the scene. "If whoever did this knows where the base is..."

"Nothing changes," Raphael snapped, glaring at the unconscious hunters. "There are no police investigating here, so whatever this is, it's not worth changing anything. Vigilante justice from some fool trainers."

"Of course, sir," the man said nervously, before bowing and heading over to help and check inside the trucks for any clues.

Raphael continued to walk a little further down the road, moving away from the scene of the attack. His Medicham, who had been moving the trucks apart from each other, came to join him. As they walked, Raphael glanced to his fearsome fighter, looking at the armband it wore that held its Mega Stone. It was legitimate, unlike the ones he'd been developing for some of the Pokemon the hunters had captured.

He frowned as he thought of that project. It wasn't quite what he'd wanted in the first place. Some Pokemon could be compelled to Mega Evolve, but only those who were known to have the ability previously and using real Mega Stones that had been altered. They also seemed to go into some kind of rage if a real Key Stone was used rather than an altered one designed to keep them under control of the trainer. Only a few of Raphael's hunters appeared to have been successful thus far.

"They'll be enough," Raphael murmured to himself as he stopped a moment, finding himself at the top of a hill. He could see the cliff their base was built into behind him, knowing Laverre City lay beyond that.

He shifted a little uncomfortably as he thought of the city. He was certain that Valerie had come to suspect him. It wasn't anything she herself had done to let him know. But the girl...Gabby. The two talked often, and that girl's performing experience did little to hide her distrust of him.

"We'll see what she does when her Altaria turns against her...along with her brother's Scizor." His altered Mega Stones would be good enough for that at least. So long as he'd be able to switch the stones they had. That was where Valerie's distrust proved difficult. Switching the Mega Stones would need to be done in battle it seemed. For the girl at least.

His gaze drifted down to some of his gathered hunters. One of them was leading the cleanup, her Altaria monitoring the scene from above. Raphael summoned her with a quick wave.

"Sir!" the woman greeted, arriving in front of him and bowing slightly.

"Alice," Raphael said, turning and continuing his walk. She followed after he was ahead a few steps. "Do you have the altered Altarianite I gave to you?"

She tensed at that, and Raphael understood why. It had been a great honour to receive it, and she had done well with it. Now she knew she wasn't likely to keep it. At least for this mission. "I do, sir," she finally murmured, nodding as he glanced back at her. She showed her arm band with her altered Key Stone to show she had that as well, although Raphael wouldn't need that.

"Do you remember many years ago, when we had collected some Swablu and Altaria and were testing them near Shalour City?" Raphael asked, staring off in the direction of the Wetlands and stopping. "The testing that led to the development of your...'Altarianite'?"

Alice nodded, looking uncertain of what Raphael was getting at. "We had to leave fairly abruptly. Much like our last set up there."

"Indeed," Raphael said, shaking his head as he thought of the carelessness involved in both situations. "Are you aware that one of those Swablu escaped?"

Alice tensed. "I...wasn't aware, sir. Although, we've had escapes before. We do capture a lot of Pokemon."

Raphael ignored that for the moment. "Regardless...this one escaped. And this one is important."

"How so, sir?"

"It is now an Altaria. An Altaria that can Mega Evolve with the help of its trainer...a student at Laverre University." Raphael glared at Alice, seeing her watching him carefully, waiting for more. "I look forward to seeing you turn it against her."

 **Author's Note:**

Okay, so a few things to get to. First, Meowth and Team Rocket. Not a huge battle, but the idea is that they needed a sneak attack to be successful at the time, and Jessie and James needed to be badass. They were badass. Now the gang is back together, and Skiddo should be a fine addition to the team, right?

As for Ash-Greninja...oh boy, I went crazy on that one. I wanted to leave a bit of mystery. Partly because there's only so much I could come up with, and because I think a bit of mystery works with it. Basically I went with a weird combination of Z-Move energy, Mega Evolution energy and the move Torrent all mutating together into Bond Phenomenon. I thought using Infernape's Blaze as a bit of a minor case worked, too. Anyway, if that was too much, I apologize. Maybe I can do more clarification as we go on.

With Serena, just a little more for...her future. We'll see how it works.

And Raphael...well, he's not happy. He's got his plans to attack, though, and it looks like Gabby and Anton will be in trouble when you know what hits the fan.

Anyway, that's that. Next chapter is the IPL Playoff opening, so it's the last one before it's essentially action to the end. Hope you're all looking forward to it. See you next time.


	22. The IPL Playoffs!

**Author's Note:**

The playoffs are here, folks! The playoffs are here! Well...the ceremonies anyway. But, I think they'll be fun, too, so let's get to it!

 **Chapter 22: The IPL Playoffs!**

Ash fell over, panting from exhaustion as Greninja did the same in front of him, the Ninja Pokemon reverting back to his original form. Across the training field, Clemont and Luxray were breathing heavily as well, the electric type just now managing to get to his feet after Greninja's Night Slash finisher. As good as that had been, though, Ash was still disappointed he couldn't get the Z-Bond Shuriken to work again. Without the Z-Crystal, it was still slipping up.

"It's...still...getting closer...isn't it...Greninja?" Ash asked, looking up to his water type as he turned around, panting as well.

"Ninja!" he answered, holding up a fist.

It _was_ true, Ash realized, grinning as he let go of the frustration. For a moment, the connection had been so...pure. It was like something he could usually only ever feel with Pikachu, but with this, the Mega Evolution energy and the Z-Power had almost seemed to pulse with their connected feelings. While they were taking a step back compared to not having the Z-Crystal, the successful use of it had definitely given them an idea of how they needed to approach things.

"Are you guys okay?" Clemont called out a moment later, kneeling next to Luxray as he checked on the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. "I was a little worried we were going to destroy the field..."

"Yeah, I think we're fine," Ash said, standing up and glancing at some of the other fields, seeing some trainers looking over nervously at him and Clemont. He supposed this was part of the reason Hala and Kukui had asked to first attempt the use of the Z-Crystal out on the main battlefield. "Maybe it's a good thing that move didn't work," he murmured, chuckling uneasily.

"I don't think people mind, Ash," Flint called out from the sidelines, standing next to Trevor and Agatha. He sounded pretty sure, but he did cast a couple nervous glances over to where Fantina and the Performance Team were practicing, seeing Fantina looking over a little irritably. It did appear that Ash and Clemont's battle had interrupted one of Shauna's routines a bit.

"We should've tried to use the main battlefield once more before Professor Sycamore started getting all the ceremony nonsense set up," Agatha muttered, looking irritable about being back at the usual training facilities after their recent sessions on the larger field.

Ash couldn't help but feel excited at the mention of the opening ceremonies for the IPL Playoffs, though. With Lumiose as the host, it was going to be quite the event, and much of the city would be showing up, along with the fans and students from the other schools. Ash was most excited to see Diantha, though, wanting to promise the Kalos Champion that she'd be seeing him winning this competition.

 _I hope she'll agree to battle me again if we do win_ , he thought, clenching his fists in nervous excitement. He could see Pikachu looking at him with a knowing look, his partner Pokemon clearly excited about the challenging battles ahead as well.

"Speaking of the ceremonies," Agatha said, bringing Ash's attention back to her, "are you three prepared for what is expected of you?"

"We don't have to do much that the other teams don't have to," Trevor pointed out. "We're just meeting them as they arrive and then we'll be announced at the ceremonies, right?"

"It all sounds very simple when you put it that way," Agatha said, tapping her cane impatiently, "but it's not the same as being there. Remember, you need to carry yourselves in a professional manner. You're not just students competing in a four team points race now. You are representing Lumiose University and Lumiose City as a whole. You'll need to look as strong as Diantha herself tonight."

"The playoffs don't begin with the first battle, guys," Flint added, sounding a little more serious as well as he straightened up next to Agatha. "They already started!"

Ash grinned, pumping his fist in excitement as he looked at his teammates. "That just gets me more psyched up!"

Clemont smiled as well, adjusting his glasses as he looked back to Agatha and Flint. "It's just like a gym battle. The challenge begins before the trainers take the battlefield. Once the challenger decides to battle the leader, it's begun!"

"Exactly!" Flint said, looking as though he liked that answer. "So you can be sure the other teams will be more than ready to take you guys on. Remember, we're up against teams with records as good as ours or better now. All you have to think about is how good the teams were that aren't even making it here for this thing to know how tough it'll be."

"Korrina's team didn't even make it..." Clemont said, nodding as he looked down thoughtfully.

"And Astrid's," Trevor added, fingering his Key Stone nervously.

"You might've thought trainers like those two would make their teams definite contenders," Agatha told them. "We can't expect an easy ride with these schools whether they've got gym leaders, league contenders or whoever else on their teams. We've seen the quality of trainer that comes out of these schools and the training that's expected of them."

Flint nodded in agreement, his eyes looking as fiery as his Infernape's Flare Blitz. "So tonight, we're sending our opponents a message. We're here to win! We've battled our way here, so we're gonna keep battling to the top!"

"Whether it's Anton and Laverre, or whoever else, it doesn't matter," Agatha said, hitting her cane on the ground to emphasize her point. "We'll take on each of them as though it's our last battle, and we're down to our last Pokemon."

"The Kalos League is in the past now. This is the new Lumiose Conference. University style!" Trevor said proudly, putting his hand forward, Agatha and Flint joining in with a grin.

"Gym Leader or not, this is a challenge I can't refuse!" Clemont added, putting his hand forward as well.

Ash smiled at the others, instantly putting his hand in as well, Pikachu heading to the end of his arm and adding his paw, too. A moment later, Greninja and Luxray joined as well. "We'll show them all our power!" Ash told his team. "And we won't give up till the very end!"

* * *

Clemont was quite pleased with the training session as he and the rest of the Battle Team headed out of the training facilities, each waving a quick goodbye to the Performance Team who were all still continuing their session. As tough as his practice match with Ash had been, he knew it was good to keep the intensity up, especially heading into the first playoff matches. With Flint and Agatha's pep talk, that had been even more apparent.

"Well, I've gotta go and meet up with Professor Sycamore and the others," Ash said as the group made their way outside. "Hala and Professor Kukui will want an update on the move, and Professor Sycamore wants to talk about what Dawn and I have to do at the ceremonies."

"Guess we'll meet up before the ceremonies then?" Trevor asked, Ash nodding in response. "Cool, well I wanted to get some pictures of the stadium before it's too crowded, so I'll see you guys later, too."

Clemont waved goodbye to the two of them as they took off, laughing to himself as Ash seemingly teleported in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. He was always off so quickly that Pikachu sometimes looked slow in comparison. _Or maybe I'm just slow,_ Clemont thought after a moment, shrugging as he turned in the direction of Prism Tower.

With his friends busy, and a bit of time to kill before the opening ceremonies, Clemont figured it would be a good chance to check on the gym, Clembot and some of his other inventions. He was already keeping a close eye on what he'd prepared in case of Raphael and his hunters attacking, but he decided it would be good to check on that as well. He supposed Elekid and Grotle would probably like a chance to have a short training session with Clembot as well, considering Luxray, Bunnelby and Chespin had been given most of the work earlier.

It was a few minutes of walking before Clemont had a better view of Prism Tower up ahead. As he was walking, though, the Pokemon Centre was on the way, and he noticed a familiar face exiting it. He was so surprised by who it was, that he stopped in his tracks immediately, blinking and staring open mouthed at the person walking out.

"Clemont!" Korrina cried out happily, spotting him almost right away and running up to him.

"K-Korrina?" He was so surprised he barely reacted as Korrina hugged him tightly, before she stepped back, chuckling as she looked at his reddening face. "What...what are you doing here?" Clemont then asked, shaking his head a little to recover as he looked at her.

Korrina gave him a mocking pout at that. "Well just because you guys knocked us out doesn't mean I can't come to see the playoffs."

Clemont rubbed his neck nervously at that, glancing away. "Ah...well...I..."

"Don't worry, Clemont! It was fair and square, I'm just kidding!" Korrina laughed, patting his shoulder before moving to his side. She seemed to guess where he'd been heading, and the two of them continued walking towards the gym together.

"It...it is good to see you," Clemont managed to say after a few moments of awkward silence. At least, it was awkward for him. Korrina was simply smiling as she waited for him to talk. "So...you're here to check out the battles? I guess it is pretty big, isn't it? Even Diantha is going to be here. And if you're interested in performing and contests, Aria and Wallace will be here, too. And I guess you can prepare for next year's IPL, too. Lots of teams will be competing. And-"

"Clemont!" Korrina said quickly, wrapping an arm around him and making his entire face feel like it was being hit by Trevor's Charizard with a Mega Evolved Flamethrower with Kukui's Incineroar's Z-Move on top of it. "You know why I'm here!"

"Um...well, if Raphael..." Clemont fidgeted uncomfortably, his eyes shifting down to Korrina's arm around him. "I guess-"

"I'm here for you!" Korrina interrupted, giving him a strange look, although he wasn't too sure what it was about. He wondered if Ash would know, considering Serena gave him those kinds of looks a lot and he seemed pretty content.

Clemont paused, looking around awkwardly. He noticed a couple of people looking over to him and Korrina as they walked, smiling as though they knew what was going on. "Um...that's...nice." He adjusted his glasses, nervously looking over to Korrina and seeing her smirking at him. "Just...me?"

Korrina looked a little surprised at that, and Clemont realized he was a little surprised himself. He realized part of him was hoping that was the case. He looked away as Korrina started to answer. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"Well, I want to support all of you guys," Korrina said slowly. She removed her arm from around Clemont and he had an odd feeling he'd screwed something up. A moment later, however, he felt Korrina taking his hand. "But I want to cheer for my favourite gym leader most of all!"

Clemont laughed at that, managing to look back at her, and comfortably held her hand in his own as they neared Prism Tower. "Favourite?"

"Well I can't be my own favourite," Korrina joked, nudging Clemont playfully.

Clemont nodded, letting his rapidly beating heart calm down a bit as they reached the courtyard out front of Prism Tower. As they walked towards the high tower, Korrina looking up admiringly, he took advantage of a bit of a surge in confidence. "Maybe my favourite gym leader would like to see some of my inventions. We could even start building a KorrinaBot if you want!"

"I might need one to visit Lumiose City more often!"

And with that, the two gym leaders headed into Prism Tower, hand in hand.

* * *

Once Dawn and Tierno had finished a mock contest battle, Fantina gathered up the group and gave them a quick pep talk, telling them that they needed to be ready to show the other teams they meant business at the opening ceremonies. Serena was pretty sure she had seen Flint and Agatha doing the same with the Battle Team before they had finished up, and she could see that Fantina was just as fired up as they had seemed to be. She couldn't help but feel even more strongly about her desire to give Lumiose City, the people of Kalos and even her opponents a performance to remember after the pep talk, though. It was certainly exciting to be so close to the opening ceremonies.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Shauna said, as the team headed outside, she and Tierno on their way back to the dorms to get ready, while Serena and Dawn would be heading to Professor Sycamore's lab. Serena was planning to speak to Lusamine about the Aether Foundation while Ash and Dawn were prepped for their role in the ceremonies as captains.

"It's like combining a Pokemon League, a Grand Festival and a Masterclass Showcase all in one," Dawn pointed out, eyes shining with excitement. "I can't wait to show Wallace what we're made of!"

"Aria's going to be so amazed by how much we've improved, won't she Serena?" Shauna added, looking to her with determination. "I bet she'll be nervous about the next Masterclass after this."

"Maybe," Serena said, a little nervous at the thought. She was wondering if Palermo would be there as well, assuming that she would be if Aria was. Since she had convinced Serena to go to Lumiose University, she would definitely be interested in her progress...and what she planned to do next.

"Maybe even Diantha's going to want us to be in a movie or something," Tierno then said, appearing to be thinking out loud to himself.

Shauna giggled at the idea, although Serena could see the gears turning in her head, clearly thinking of it. "We don't have time for movies. We've still got a lot of work to do."

"Well, we won't really get to do much training after this," Dawn pointed out, looking back at the doors of the training facilities, where a poster for the playoffs was taped up. "Tomorrow...well, tonight, the playoffs are on. We can't let up until it's over!"

The group murmured their agreement at that, each looking confidently to one another, before finally Shauna decided to head back to get ready, while Tierno said he would do the same. With their departure, Serena and Dawn then set off, heading in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. As they walked, Dawn seemed to sense a bit of the unease Serena was feeling.

"Still worrying about Palermo?" she asked, looking sympathetically to Serena as they crossed the street. Serena had told her about her nervousness already.

"I...I'm not really sure," Serena admitted. "I'm sure Palermo will be happy with the progress I've made here. We've had our struggles, but I've still learned a lot. And if I can get Absol's Mega Evolution to work...well..."

"That would certainly be helpful!" Dawn finished, laughing as Serena smiled. "Do you think she'll be upset with Lusamine and Hala asking about...Alola?"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know." She sighed as she looked over in the direction of Prism Tower, seeing it high above the rest of the buildings. "She might actually think it's a good idea. I guess...it's just that I'm not sure about what _I'm_ going to do about it yet. It feels like I need to choose so quickly, even though Lusamine and Hala haven't pressured me."

Dawn nodded, smiling sadly as she looked ahead. "I know how you feel. I feel...I've felt like that a few times before. When these playoffs are over, and when the semester is done, it's going to feel almost like the end of a journey. Being at school is different, but...it's also still kind of the same. Part of you wants to do something more and move on, and part of you wants to keep working at what you're doing."

Serena frowned, wondering if she was missing something. It did sound as though Dawn had a fairly good idea of what was going on in her head, though. "It was a lot simpler when we'd made the decision to come here and had an idea of what we were going to do, wasn't it?" Serena said jokingly, remembering wondering what to do before Palermo had suggested the school, and then registering with the IPL in mind along with Shauna, and then meeting all her new friends and meeting Ash again. Perhaps simple wasn't the right word for it, but her path had been clear enough. Now there just seemed to be more roads ahead.

"Whatever we do, there's no need to worry," Dawn assured her with a grin. "We just have to keep working hard for the playoffs ahead, and maybe our paths will be clearer after that. We want to make our decisions with a championship behind us, don't we?!"

Serena nodded, finding that agreeable enough. "Sounds good to me!"

The two high fived at that, and the rest of the way to Sycamore's lab was spent excitedly talking about the potential IPL Playoff scenarios ahead. Serena could sense Dawn was excited about the format, which definitely made things far more interesting, although also more intimidating. If they weren't at the very top of their game, they would be eliminated quickly, with no chance to show everything they could do.

However, as Fantina had pointed out, the ceremonies would be a chance to show the other teams they were ready to compete at the highest level. When they arrived at the lab, Professor Sycamore certainly seemed ready to get Ash and Dawn set for their part in that. As Serena and Dawn stepped through the door, he rushed over to them immediately.

"Marvelous! Dawn! Ash has just finished meeting with Hala and Professor Kukui so I can discuss what you two will be doing at the ceremonies. Please come with me." He started to lead a surprised Dawn down a hallway where his assistant quickly moved out of the way, before he glanced back at Serena. "Lusamine will be out in a moment, Serena."

Serena gave a quick, awkward wave to him and Dawn, before the two disappeared. She was going to just stand and wait for Lusamine, but a moment later, she noticed a white hat in a chair around the corner, and she walked around to see Lillie sitting quietly with her Vulpix. She appeared to be reading a newspaper, although she had noticed Serena arriving and turned to greet her.

"Serena!" she said happily. "How was your training session? Sorry I couldn't come. I was visiting some of the other classes around here with my mother. We're doing some research for the...performing program in Alola." She looked embarrassed at that, but Serena didn't mind.

"That's great! There are lots of things we do here that I bet people in Alola would love," Serena said, sitting down next to Lillie and glancing at the newspaper she'd been reading. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was about.

Lillie looked apologetic once more, but she picked the newspaper back up, looking at Serena determinedly. "These...hunters. They're the ones who hurt your Absol, right? These are the ones that have been around Kalos?"

Serena nodded. "They've been sneaky. It's been almost impossible to catch any sign of them. The only ones that have been caught are the guys Ash and Korrina defeated. One here, and one in Shalour City."

"Well," Lillie said, sounding oddly happy as held out the newspaper. "You can add to that total now. Five were found tied up outside a police station near Laverre City. It seems their memories are...not all there, though."

Serena stared at the newspaper in shock, reading part of the article. "That's...what could this mean?" It seemed like good news. It had to be good news. Someone must've found these hunters doing something horrible and defeated them and delivered them to the police. But...it didn't add up. Why deliver them anonymously? What happened to their memories? How did they get five of them there? Why were there no other signs of conflict?

Something was wrong about this, and Serena was sure they hadn't heard the last about it. Her concerns about Palermo and Lusamine seemed very minor as she thought of what else could be coming.

* * *

Ash and Dawn stood proudly at the head of the group, the rest of the team behind them, while Professor Sycamore and the coaches were to the side. Marie, Meyer, Bonnie and Korrina were there as well, Korrina apparently having arrived earlier. Ash could see Bonnie excitedly asking her questions while Clemont kept looking over at them nervously, Meyer chuckling to himself the whole time.

Behind them, the main battlefield was opened up, the stands filled up with students and fans from not only Lumiose, but the other schools as well. Ash had wondered why they weren't doing the ceremonies in the Kalos League stadium, where the battles were actually meant to be held, but apparently there was still some last minute work being done there. Clemont, for some odd reason, had seemed aware of it, but when Ash had asked him about it, all he had done was chuckle to himself and adjust his glasses, muttering about the future and science.

Ash had expected the opening ceremonies to be somewhat like the openings to the various Pokemon Leagues he'd participated in, but the more he waited, the more he realized that this might top it. Obviously a Pokemon League was a huge deal, and the highest level for trainers not among the Champions and Elite Fours of the various regions, but this wasn't just for battlers. This was still a huge deal for them, but contest enthusiasts and performance lovers were clearly extremely excited as well. With it being in Lumiose City, too, plenty more people had gathered.

So, when the first arrival out front of the stadium was a car with the Diantha, Wallace, Aria, Monsieur Pierre and President Goodshow of the Pokemon League, Ash was almost as excited as he'd been before his first ever Pokemon League. He, Dawn and Professor Sycamore stepped forward as the high profile group emerged from the car, Professor Sycamore being the first to greet them.

"It's marvelous to see you all! Lumiose University welcomes you!" he said, grinning as he gestured to the gathered students and the field behind them. "We hope our students and their opponents will be able to show you the great future ahead for Pokemon trainers in the world of battles, contests and performances!"

"We're glad to be here, Professor!" President Goodshow said, sounding almost giddy with excitement as well. His eyes landed on Ash a moment later and he quickly moved forward to shake hands. "Ah! Ash! I'd heard you would be here! I should've known you would be, with the intense battles we're expecting here."

Ash grinned at that, looking to Pikachu who's cheeks sparked with excitement as he looked down to Goodshow. "The IPL's been really challenging so far!" Ash told him, his mind playing through some of the tough matches they'd had already. "It should be really fun to fight our way through the playoffs!"

"I suppose you'll be battling with a little extra motivation after the Kalos League! I expect to see a good bunch of matches!" Ash assured him he would, and then Goodshow looked to Dawn, shaking her hand as well. "And you must be the captain of the Lumiose Performance Team, Dawn?"

"Yep!" Dawn told him, proudly looking back to the rest of the team. "We're ready to show you some intense battles, too. With some flashy moves to go with them."

"That should be very exciting to see!" With that, Goodshow moved on to greet the rest of the team, while Diantha came forward to greet Ash and Dawn.

The Kalos Champion looked amused as Ash couldn't help but give her a challenging look. He couldn't help it of course. He desperately wanted another chance to battle her. "Well Ash," she said, shaking hands with him and Dawn, "I'm guessing you have a challenge for me?"

Ash laughed at that, but he still nodded, pumping his fist confidently. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a battle when the playoffs are over. If we can win the championship, will you accept?"

Diantha's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement at the challenge. "I think that can be arranged..." She glanced back to where her assistant was standing, appearing to make a call and then leaned forward to whisper the next part. "Just keep it a secret for now. Make sure to win!"

The next to come forward was Wallace. While Ash did know him somewhat, the now famous Top Coordinator and Dawn had much more to talk about. He seemed very interested in her most recent trip to the Indigo Grand Festival, and also about her mother, who Ash knew was also a former Top Coordinator.

"I hear she'll be teaching at Jubilife University next year," he said, giving Dawn a knowing look. "I'm sure all of Sinnoh will be signing up just to take her classes."

"Yeah," Dawn said, giving Ash an awkward glance, before returning her gaze to Wallace. "She's definitely looking forward to it."

As Aria and Pierre moved forward, Ash glanced back to see Wallace now talking with Serena, who seemed nervous about who had just exited the car. As Ash glanced back, he realized it was Palermo, the woman who had told Serena about Lumiose University. She moved forward with Aria and Pierre, but stayed back a bit, apparently not having much to say.

Ash was a little surprised as Aria and Pierre greeted him excitedly, not expecting them to know him. Apparently they'd followed the Kalos League closely, though. "It's great to meet you!" Aria told him as Pierre greeted Dawn. "I was rooting for you and your Greninja the whole time. That transformation you guys pulled off was inspiring to watch. I've even implemented some of Greninja's movements into a couple of performance routines."

"R-Really?" Ash stammered, looking surprised as Aria greeted Dawn as well. "What could you have used from me?"

"It's like Serena said, Ash," Dawn told him, laughing at his surprised look, "you can draw people in with your battling. It's why you guys made such a great team for Reggie's class!"

"Serena thinks like a Kalos Queen," Aria said, eyes darting to her fellow performer behind Ash. "Well, I'd better go say hello!"

Palermo, Diantha's assistant and one of Goodshow's staff members silently followed after that, along with someone who Sycamore mentioned would be the announcer. Once they had all finished meeting with the rest of the team and headed out to the battlefield, Ash could hear the roars of the crowd. Shortly after, the announcer's voice could be heard. He certainly seemed to have the energy to make this an exciting event, and Ash was more fired up as he began, just as the first bus with the first arriving team pulled up.

"Hello out there Pokemon fans, from Lumiose, Kalos and around the world! I'm your announcer Robby Cole!" The crowd roared in approval at the beginning of the ceremonies and Ash knew they'd been waiting anxiously for this moment. He had as well. "Oh baby! It's time to get started!"

With that, the announcer, Robby Cole, began to introduce the others with him, letting Monsieur Pierre join in on the talking as they appeared to be partnering up for this part. As they talked, Ash and Dawn turned back to face the newly arriving students. It appeared they were arriving from Kiloude University, and like Lumiose and Laverre, both their battling and performing teams had made it.

As the students and their coaches exited, Ash grinned as he recognized the Battle Team captain, the first to come forward once the coaches greeted Sycamore and the Lumiose coaches. "Calem, it's good to see you again!"

"Yeah, you too," the Kiloude battler said, smiling back as he shook Ash's hand, eyes darting behind him as he noticed Serena. "I heard from Abe that you and Serena were successful with the mission?" he said, looking back to Ash.

Ash nodded, grinning back in Serena's direction. She simply gave an awkward wave, before Ash turned back to Calem. "Serena's got the Absolite. She's still working on mastering Mega Evolution, but she'll get there!"

"She's been training every day," Dawn added, greeting Calem as well, before the Kiloude Performance Team captain came forward to greet her as well.

"That's good," Calem said, glancing back to Ash with a grin. "I'd like to see it when she can get it to work. Abe seemed to think it would be something special."

As the Kiloude team finished their greeting, they headed out towards the battlefield, the crowd cheering for them as they did so. Ash could hear Robby and Pierre announcing the team members, along with what they'd done in getting to the playoffs. It certainly sounded like they would be a tough matchup, both for the battling teams and the performing teams. Of course, that meant Ash wanted to take them on as soon as possible.

After that, it was a long string of greetings. Most schools had just one team representing them, whether it was their Battle Team or Performance Team, but the teams that showed up appeared to have some tough challengers. Ash and his friends even knew a few.

When Santalune University's Battle Team pulled in, Ash didn't know any of the students, but he instantly recognized their coach, who was taking advantage of the moment to snap a picture. He hadn't expected Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader, to be there, but he was glad to know that her students would likely be very well prepared with her being there. She appeared just as intrigued to meet Ash there, along with a couple fellow gym leaders in Clemont and Korrina. Trevor seemed to interest her the most, though, the two of them even comparing pictures a moment, before she and Santalune had to head to the field to continue the introductions.

Fleurrh University's Performance Team's arrival came with a not so friendly greeting from their captain, a girl named Amelia, who appeared quite confident in herself. She didn't seem to think much of Ash, Dawn or anyone there, really. She seemed to recognize Serena and Shauna, but only walked past them as she headed to the field. Serena and Shauna had then mentioned she was a fairly successful performer, but quite self absorbed.

Cyllage College also brought a familiar face to Ash, their Battle Team being coached by yet another gym leader in Grant, the Cyllage Gym Leader, and rock type trainer. He was quite friendly in greeting Ash, but a couple of his students were a little hostile, two girls that were apparently sisters glaring daggers at the group in front of them. When they smiled in greeting a moment later, though, Ash wasn't sure if it was just their way of looking confident in the face of their opponents or something else.

A couple other schools had some performers Serena and Shauna were familiar with as well, including a girl with a Scraggy competing for Glorio University, and a girl with a Mightyena competing for Snowbelle University. It didn't appear as though there were coordinators Dawn was familiar with for any of the schools, but they knew that didn't mean they weren't skilled, considering the final bus now approaching held a couple of very talented coordinators in Jimmy and Casey.

As the bus for Laverre University stopped in front of them, Ash couldn't help but narrow his eyes, seeing Raphael at the front of it, Valerie a little behind him. _If he tries anything, we won't let him off easy,_ Ash thought, clenching his fists. He took a deep breath to calm himself, though, as Dawn gave him a nervous glance. He knew he couldn't react strangely now, in case Raphael could figure out they were on to him.

"Welcome back to Lumiose University," Professor Sycamore said to the coaches as they led their students forward. "We're looking forward to seeing your teams battle and perform here once more."

Raphael didn't say anything, simply walking forward and waiting for the team, while Valerie murmured a thanks to Sycamore, before greeting Ash and the others. Then, it was time for Anton and Gabby to move forward, the former appearing as though he wanted to follow Raphael's lead. Fortunately, he had the sense to stick to the ceremonial rules.

"Ready to settle the score, Anton?" Ash asked, briefly shaking Anton's stiff hand. "I'm gonna win the next time!"

Anton just stared back through the sunglasses he always wore. "We'll see. We've yet to have a proper conclusion to one of our battles. I'd like the next one to end properly."

Ash didn't know how to answer that, realizing that Anton was including their first battle in that statement. _The battle where I passed out_ , he thought, frowning as Anton moved ahead. He could see the Laverre battle captain giving the rest of the team a quick nod before heading over to join Raphael and wait.

"Sorry about him," Gabby then said, bringing Ash's attention to her. "Long bus ride. I think he's tired." She looked fairly excited as she listened to crowd a moment, her feet tapping a little bit as she stood in front of Ash and Dawn. "We're in for a wild playoffs, aren't we?"

"Sure looks and sounds like it," Dawn said in agreement, smiling as she glanced back towards the battlefield. "Hopefully we can take you guys on in the finals and end things with a bang!"

"That's the plan!" Gabby replied with a laugh, before heading over to greet Serena, while the rest of the Laverre students came forward.

As Ash greeted the rest of the Laverre students, he felt his heart racing as he realized the next step of the ceremonies was about to begin. He could sense Pikachu excitedly tensing up as well, cheeks sparking a little as they finally finished, watching as the Laverre teams headed forward, their names and highlights being announced.

"Remember everyone," Agatha said as Sycamore called for everyone to get in position, "keep your heads up and look proud. You're here for a reason, and it's not just because your school is hosting. You earned your spot. You're going to go out there and show everyone you're ready to win."

"We're not here to win as Ash, or Dawn, or Serena, or Clemont, Shauna, Tierno or Trevor," Flint added, locking eyes with each as he said their name. "We're here to win as a team!"

"We're here to win as the Lumiose Luxrays!" Ash yelled, raising his fist in the air, the others following suit. "We won't give up till it's over! Let's go show these guys we're not going down easy!"

And with that, they heard Robby Cole announcing their entrance. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he roared, the crowd cheering so loudly he had to yell through the speakers. "Please welcome your host team! It's Lumiose University, or as they're known in the IPL, the LUMIOSE LUXRAYS!"

"YAHHH!"

Ash was almost tempted to cover his ears from the excited yelling of the crowd. As he and Dawn led the way forward, he could see the other teams gathered up ahead, out in front of the stage that had been set up where the announcers, along with Diantha, Wallace and Aria were with Goodshow. He could see that they were all watching he and his friends, looking on challengingly. Even the friendly trainers from the initial greetings looked somewhat intimidating at the moment. He wasn't troubled by it, though, just continuing to smile confidently as he walked forward. This was just part of the challenge.

"Led by zer captain, Dawn of Twinleaf Town in ze Sinnoh region," Pierre then announced, a spotlight suddenly shining on Dawn and the other Performance Team members, "ze Lumiose Performance Team fought zer way back from an early deficit in ze standings and stormed zer way to ze IPL Playoffs. Dawn and first time Coordinator Tierno each took ze lead in contest battles, while Masterclass performers Shauna and Serena led ze way with zer stunning performances."

"And on the battlefield, Ash of Pallet Town led the Lumiose Battle Team back from an early deficit in the standings as well," Robby added, the crowd cheering louder now. "He, along with fellow Kalos League competitor Trevor, and Lumiose City's very own Gym Leader, Clemont, managed to dig in their heels and refuse to let crucial points slip away, narrowly slipping into the IPL Playoffs in their final showdown against fellow playoff team, Laverre University! Oh baby, it looks like that'll be an interesting rivalry to watch!"

They continued to add a few more details as Ash and his friends took their place among the rest of the teams. As they waited, Ash listened in interest as Robby and Pierre described some of the specific matchups that the various teams had to get them into the playoffs. It certainly sounded as though Lumiose wasn't the only team to have had a close call. Of course, that only made Ash realize how much the other teams would want this as well. Heading into the playoffs having to have fought this hard for it made it all the more important to him, and he knew it would be that way for the other teams that had been in the same position.

Once the announcers had finished their recaps of the various teams' seasons and the key matchups they had fought, attention then turned to President Goodshow as he stepped forward. As he did so, the screen on stage lit up, showing two different brackets, which Ash assumed would be the different ones for the battling teams and the performing teams. However, that wasn't the only thing people were interested in, as two torches were also being carried to either side of the stage, while a large bowl was placed at centre stage. Ash knew immediately what they were for, although Goodshow didn't mention anything about it at first.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Pokemon League President called out, the crowd slowly going quieter as he spoke. "As you can see, this looks as though it might be one of the most exciting Interschool Pokemon Leagues in a generation. These are some of the finest young students around, and they've worked extremely hard to get here."

"YAHHH!" the crowd cheered in answer. Ash looked back in surprise, feeling as though he'd heard Bonnie and Korrina cheering louder than anyone from where they were now seated.

"And, of course," Goodshow went on, "what makes this so exciting, is that at the end of these playoffs, after all the hard fought battles and performances, we'll have two teams standing above the rest. A Champion of the IPL Battle Conference and a Champion of the IPL Performance Conference." He paused as the crowd cheered again, although they quieted down fairly quickly, clearly eager for the rest of the information to come. "Of course, the road there will be fascinating to follow! And while the road to this point has been fascinating as well, it only gets tougher from here. So first, we'll look at what the Performance Teams must do if they are to emerge as our winners!"

"Here we go..." Dawn said quietly, looking up with clenched fists. They'd already been informed of the rules beforehand, but Ash understood why she looked so excited. It was official now.

Goodshow turned towards the screen as the one bracket was highlighted, showing eight spots at the bottom, followed by six in the next section, two after that, and one at the top for the winner. "The first stage of the IPL Performance Conference will be a very challenging one, even if only two teams will be eliminated from it. Each team will need to compete in a Theme Performance as they have done in each match up until now, but after that, there will also be an additional Appeals round, as seen in contests in other regions. Following that, there will be a Freestyle Performance, again as seen in previous matches. These events will be judged with a score out of ten, and the average of the three scores will be given to their respective teams. The six highest scores will move on."

"Only two teams are eliminated," Tierno said excitedly. "This'll be a piece of cake!"

"That doesn't make it easy," Shauna told him, looking determined. "One mistake and we could be one of those two teams. Everyone will be at the top of their game to make sure they don't end up at the bottom."

Ash nodded in agreement, seeing Tierno do so as well before everyone looked back up to Goodshow, who was now continuing. "Once we are down to the final six teams, we will split them into two pools of three. At this point, a round robin will be held in each pool, where each team will battle in a one against one contest battle. Three points will be awarded for a victory, and one for a draw. The team with the most points in each pool will move on to the finals."

Ash could see Serena focusing on Goodshow carefully now, and he couldn't help but see her eyes move to Gabby briefly. The Laverre performer seemed to be thinking the same as Serena, whatever it was, because she looked back as well, smirking before Goodshow continued.

"The finals of the IPL Performance Conference will be a double contest battle," Goodshow then said, the crowd murmuring excitedly at his words. "The winner will earn their school the title of IPL Performance Champions!"

As the crowd and the students excitedly murmured about that, Ash looked to Pikachu excitedly, knowing the battle rules were about to be discussed as well. He was excited about the Performance Team setup as well, but the more he waited, the more he wanted to get started. He couldn't wait to go through what it would take to win the battle rounds.

"As for the IPL Battle Conference," Goodshow then called out, the crowd going quiet once more, "it will run much like a regular bracket. We will begin with the eight qualifying teams, then move to four and then to the final two. What trainers will need to be aware of, is how this differs to the regular season IPL battles."

Ash looked to Trevor and Clemont as the crowd got loud again. He could see them looking up at Goodshow, eyes wide with excitement. With the new rules, they had to show even more teamwork then before. Especially if they made it to the end.

"With the playoff battles," Goodshow then said, the crowd now listening in near silence, "each team will now act as though it is a single trainer. This means that in order to win, each Pokemon used by one team will need to be defeated. For rounds one and two, each team will use three Pokemon, one for each member of the team."

Ash couldn't help but think of the interesting scenarios this could lead to. He didn't think it would matter too much if he, Clemont and Trevor could just win all their battles, of course. However, it would definitely be a game changing rule once the finals came around.

"As for the finals," Goodshow then went on, as though sensing the thoughts Ash was having. "The final match will give each team the use of six Pokemon, just as though it were a full battle. If a team chooses, one of their trainers may use up to four of their Pokemon in the battle. The only requirement is that each member of the team battles with at least one Pokemon. As with the previous two rounds, all Pokemon on one side need to be defeated. Once one team defeats all the opposing Pokemon, they will become...the IPL Battle Conference Champions!"

Once more, the crowd roared in excitement, the excitement clear among everyone there. Even some of the opposing students gathered around were cheering. With the path now clear in front of everyone, it was now just a matter of battling and performing. If each team could execute their strategies, they could be the ones earning the championship title.

The ceremonies weren't done yet, however, and as Goodshow moved to stand at the centre of the stage, in front of the large bowl, he looked out at the crowd, the torch bearers at either end of the stage stepping down a small set of stairs and turning to face the students. Ash and Dawn began to walk forward.

"We still have one thing left to do before we start the IPL Playoffs!" Goodshow then called out. "To honour these young trainers and their Pokemon, we must light the official torch of the IPL Playoffs with the flame of Ho-oh! Please welcome, once again, the captains of our host team! Ash and Dawn!"

As Goodshow called out his name, Ash reached the stage, Dawn doing so at the other end as well. He smiled as he took the torch from the torch bearer, and then made his way up onto the stage. At the other end, he could see Dawn holding hers up high above her head, and he did the same, making it visible to everyone watching.

Slowly, the two of them approached, Goodshow calling for them to do so. As they each reached the centre of the stage, they turned to face the unlit torch in front. Ash could almost feel the desire of the flames of the torch he held wanting to reach out to it. _The power of Ho-oh,_ he realized with a smile.

"Ash," Goodshow then said, looking to him, before turning to Dawn, "and Dawn. If you would please light the torch!"

"Together!" Dawn said, looking across to Ash, before looking out to where their team stood, watching them proudly and cheering.

Ash nodded, glancing to Pikachu who smiled back excitedly. "Let's do this!"

And, in one smooth motion, both trainers dipped their flames into the bowl, the power of Ho-oh erupting in front of them almost immediately. Ash, Dawn and Goodshow had to step back a few feet, each looking on in awe as the crowd cheered loudly. Then, Goodshow raised his microphone up one more time.

"Ladies and gentlement," he said, voice shaking with excitement, "let the IPL Playoffs begin!"

 **Author's Note:**

Let the IPL Playoffs begin! Yeah! Who's excited? I know I am. It's pretty much action till the end now. The playoffs will be packed full of performances and battles, and then...other stuff is going on, too. I hope you enjoy what's coming.

As for the first scenes. A bit of fluff I suppose. I wanted a bit of a pep talk moment from the coaches, though, and make it clear the playoffs are a big deal. Clemont and Korrina...well, very fluffy, but you know...good fluff. And Clemont might have some key inventions he's shown Korrina now. And obviously a couple things going on with the Serena scene, with her future and with the hunter news. More to come on that of course.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Just a quick note on the announcer Robby Cole...he's based on legendary hockey broadcaster here in Canada, haha. I just couldn't resist. So...yeah. See you next time!


	23. Playoff Performers

**Author's Note:**

Finally here with the true opening of the playoffs! Sorry for the delay bit it is a long one...and these performances are absolute hell to write. Tried my best though and it'll be much smoother going forward I think. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 23: Playoff Performers**

Abe leaned back in his chair, sighing contentedly as he sipped from a cup of tea, before he reached over to a table next to him to pick up the remote for his television. He smiled in excitement at his Absol as it slowly curled up on his couch, ready to watch as well. When he hit the button to turn on the TV, both of them turned their gazes to watch as the famous Monsieur Pierre appeared on the screen, just now getting introduced to a wild crowd in a massive new performance theatre in Lumiose City.

"Bonjour ladies and gentlemen!" Pierre called out to the crowd, raising his staff up high as his Klefki twirled around it. "It is wonderful to see you all! We hope you are excited for what is to come today, here at ze ultimate new performance theatre in Lumiose City, which will also be ze host for ze next Masterclass Showcase!"

The crowd roared excitedly at that, and Abe smiled at the enthusiasm they showed. He did enjoy performances. He'd been a battler back in the day, but he always appreciated the different ways trainers could work with their Pokemon. When the performing circuit had started up here in Kalos, he'd instantly become hooked, watching the flashy routines the aspiring Kalos Queens put together with fascination. It had quickly got him interested in contests as well, and before he and his Absol had gotten too old for doing too much more travelling and fighting, they'd accomplished their goal of entering one in the Hoenn region.

"Today we are not here for ze Masterclass however," Monsieur Pierre then continued, bringing Abe's attention back to the TV. "Today, we are here for ze ultimate quest for ze students studying here in ze Kalos region to become ze next great generation of performers! We are here for ze end of a long journey for ze performers who have fought zer way through ze challenging Interschool Pokemon League Performing Conference! We are here...for ze IPL Playoffs!"

As the crowd roared excitedly once more, Abe looked to his table again, hearing the phone ringing. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he leaned over to pick it up, having a fairly good idea who it would be. When he answered, he laughed again as the voice on the other end greeted him.

"Hello Abe," Palermo said softly. Abe could just hear the sounds of the crowd on her end, although it sounded as though she was calling from an area where it was a little quieter. He turned down his TV to hear better, still watching as Pierre introduced Aria for a quick demonstration performance before he would explain the stages the students would be competing in next.

"Palermo," Abe answered, sitting up a bit straighter in his chair. "I'd wondered if you would be calling. I assume you've seen Serena then?"

"I have..." She sounded suspicious. "You didn't give her that Absolite because of my relationship with her, did you?"

Abe might've been hurt by that suggestion long ago, but it didn't bother him now. He knew Palermo well enough to know that she knew he had the best intentions, and he knew she had the best intentions as well. "I wasn't aware she was the one you'd focused your attention on actually." It was the truth. He'd figured out eventually, but only afterwards. He'd known Serena was close to winning the Masterclass, but he hadn't discussed Palermo's interest in an unknown performer since before the Masterclass had taken place. It was only after some thought once Serena had earned the Absolite that he'd made the connection

"So...the Absolite...?" Palermo was never flustered, but this was as close to it as she'd ever been when talking to Abe.

"It was earned," he said, laughing lightly. "She is a...fascinating person. I can see why you've taken an interest."

"I expected it was...but still, I needed to know," Palermo murmured, a little defensively as though she was feeling guilty about asking. She sounded a little happier as she continued, though. "It's remarkable the progress she's made at this school. I believe she's concerned about some of the losses she's suffered, but the way her friends look to her, the other students...she's just like Aria. She's her own person of course, but she has that presence."

Abe nodded to himself at that, remembering thinking the same thing just moments after meeting her. "You should have seen her friend...well, perhaps they were more than friends the way he spoke, but the boy with her, Ash, spoke very highly of her. When someone speaks so highly of another, I have to meet them, and I was glad I did."

"Yes, Ash Ketchum." Palermo paused at that, and Abe waited silently, watching the elegant performance Aria was doing for the Lumiose crowd. "He seems to draw people to him in his own way. I can see why Serena is fond of him. I think they've been good for each other from what Professor Sycamore has told me."

"You haven't been snooping, have you?" Abe joked, knowing that Palermo wouldn't have done anything other than ask how Serena's studies had gone.

"I'm too busy for that," Palermo answered quietly, although Abe thought he heard a small laugh. "I just hope that this relationship won't play into any decisions she has to make in the near future. Not in the wrong way."

"Decisions?" Abe asked, confused.

"It seems Serena has been offered a chance to go to the Alola region to continue her studies there, and potentially help to grow performances there," Palermo murmured, sounding oddly excited about the idea. "It may be a good idea. Her future would be wide open with an opportunity such as that."

"Whatever she decides, I'm sure she will choose wisely," Abe assured Palermo. "Just think of how she cared for that Absol of hers. She takes the time that is necessary for greatness."

* * *

Serena, Dawn and Shauna stood in the waiting room, watching the TV as Monsieur Pierre described the upcoming performances that would be taking place. Serena could see that Shauna was getting a little nervous. Whether it was good or bad, Serena wasn't sure, but Lumiose would be performing first in each of the three levels of performing in this round, with Shauna as their first performer for the Theme Performance. Unlike in the regular season and in showcases, the performers would be on the stage alone, the judges giving their full attention to each.

"You can do this, Shauna!" Dawn said encouragingly as Monsieur Pierre described the rules for the Theme Performance. Apparently it was randomized what each performer would need to do, but it would involve a combination of things done in a usual Theme Performance. It sounded like it was something Shauna would be quite good at.

"I just want to make sure I don't let you guys down," she said, a little shakily. "If we get down early, it will really hurt our chances."

Serena was about to tell her not to think of that, sure that if Shauna just focused on doing what she loved she would be fine. However, before she could say anything, someone walked past them, laughing loudly. It was a girl with long black hair, a purple performing dress and a big purple bow in her hair. Amelia of Fleurrh University.

"It'll be a joke watching Lumiose perform!" she said loudly. "I'm sure Laverre let them squeak into the playoffs just to have an easier opponent. I've seen a couple of their performers before and they're nothing special. Palermo and Aria just played favourites to help them get into the Masterclass!"

"What?!" Dawn looked more furious than anyone, glaring over in the direction of Amelia with fire in her eyes. "Who does she think-"

"Ignore her. She's been riling up whoever she can all morning. I heard her telling a story about being judged a greater performer than Aria in some magazine in Fleurrh City earlier. She's nuts!" Serena blinked in surprise as she and her friends turned to see Gabby having come over to join them. She was in her blue performing dress that matched her Altaria so well. "Have you guys really performed against her before? I heard that girl Concetta with the Scraggy mentioning she was competing in the last round of showcases."

Serena nodded, remembering the Fleurrh City showcase she'd entered, where Amelia had been the clear favourite. "I won in Fleurrh City against her. She's very good, though."

"Doesn't seem very...Kalos Queen-like," Gabby muttered, looking over to where Amelia was continuing to praise herself. "At least...not the kind Aria is."

"That's not what we're competing for this time, though," Shauna pointed out, also looking over, but more uneasily. "As long as she performs well, she'll get the points she needs." She sighed, looking to the screen as Monsieur Pierre appeared to be readying the crowd for the introduction of the first Theme Performance. "You don't think she was right about Aria playing favourites, do you? Maybe she knew I was your friend and tried to help..."

Serena shook her head quickly. "That's ridiculous, Shauna. You know we earned our place. Aria wants to compete against the best. The people of Kalos want to see the best."

"If she lost a showcase in her hometown, no wonder she's trying to come up with any excuse," Dawn said, shaking her head as she looked away. "Just focus on the performing, Shauna. There's no need to worry."

"Like I said," Gabby added, patting Shauna on the shoulder, "she's been saying things to everyone. Apparently I'm a wannabe Lisia from the Hoenn region, but my brother has a better chance of performing at that level."

That made Shauna giggle a little, and she smiled back gratefully. "I guess we need to show her what performing is all about then!"

"Go get 'em, Shauna!" Dawn said encouragingly then, just as Monsieur Pierre announced the first performance.

"You can do it!" Serena added, giving her a thumbs up.

And with that, Shauna was called out by an assistant, and Serena, Dawn and Gabby looked up to the screen to watch as Monsieur Pierre excitedly waved to the crowd, his Klefki twirling around him. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he cried out, sounding excited himself. "Please welcome our first performer of ze day! It is performer Shauna, from Lumiose University!"

The crowd, which despite having many fans and students from the other cities, was clearly still dominated by Lumiose fans. With the huge stage and theatre, the noise seemed to shake the whole building and make Shauna even back up a few steps, laughing nervously. The crowd did quiet down eventually, though, the screen showing one last glimpse of Ash and the others cheering loudly for Shauna, while Tierno was shown among the other Performance Team members not competing in these rounds for the various teams cheering just as loud.

"Now, for ze rules of Shauna's Theme Performance!" Monsieur Pierre then said, walking over to stand next to Shauna as she took a deep breath. Serena heard Amelia giggling among her teammates, but ignored it as she focused on what Pierre said. "For this Theme Performance, Shauna will need to perform three tasks with her Pokemon, and will be judged with a score out of ten for how she does. She'll need ze elegance, compassion and quick wits of a Kalos Queen to do well with her Pokemon!"

"I wonder what she'll have to do," Gabby murmured, looking fascinated as she watched. "It'll be different for each team, so I wonder if they test different things with each performer."

Serena supposed that made sense, although with it being randomized, it could test her weakest qualities, or her strongest. Shauna would need to be ready for anything. Serena was glad that Fantina had made sure that each member of the team had done thorough practice with all the various aspects of performing and contests leading up to this. They at least knew what would be expected no matter what they needed to do.

"For zis Theme Performance," Monsieur Pierre then said, bringing Serena's attention back to the screen, "Shauna will need to bake three pokepuffs! However, zer will be a strict time limit. Furthermore, ze pokepuffs will each have a specific recipe with specific berries. Each of our judges has been given a different kind of Pokemon to use for ze tasting and ze recipe will need to fit each one. While Shauna is baking, she will need to use her Pokemon to search for ze berries and help her prepare ze recipes. Once completed, she will answer a question about ze Pokemon ze pokepuff is given to. Zis challenge will test Shauna's speed, concentration and her knowledge of Pokemon!"

"Shauna can do this in her sleep!" Dawn said confidently, pumping her fist excitedly. "Only you make better pokepuffs than her, Serena!"

Serena wasn't sure if that was the case, as she was sure Clemont's Chespin had been pretty pleased with Shauna's pokepuffs over hers in some cases, and he was likely the go to Pokemon for judging them. Nonetheless, she was confident in Shauna's ability to do well. She knew these Theme Performances very well, and could likely put them together flawlessly. Just as long as Amelia hadn't put any negative thoughts in her head...

They were about to find out, though, and as Serena watched the setup for the performance appear on stage, the floor opening up as a baking station and a massive collection of berries was raised up, she took a deep breath, feeling almost as though it was her out there. The playoffs were truly starting now. These performances would decide who competed in the contest battle rounds, and if they weren't careful, they wouldn't be there.

"Peformer Shauna, please take your position and call out ze Pokemon you wish to help you in zis performance!" Pierre then called out, stepping back as Shauna headed to her baking station, having a look around at her materials and the berries required. Once she was in place, she called out her Ivysaur and Skitty, while a spotlight then shone on the three judges. Serena was surprised to see who they were. "Now, for ze judges you will be performing for! Welcome Palermo, Wallace, and Kalos Queen Aria!"

The crowd roared in approval for the judges, and Serena couldn't blame them, her own excitement rising as she realized they would be getting a chance to perform and be judged by the very best and most knowledgeable of people in the performing and coordinating world. She couldn't help but imagine Aria giving her a perfect score, and she knew she wouldn't mind one from Palermo or Wallace either.

As Shauna and her Pokemon got ready, Serena noticed that three Pokemon were now being brought out to sit with the judges. A Munchlax sat with Wallace, a Totodile with Aria, and a Gible with Palermo. They all looked like Pokemon that would be more than happy to eat whatever pokepuff was offered, and Serena was sure they'd enjoy whatever Shauna made.

"Now, Shauna..." Pierre's call seemed to get the attention of the crowd, and there was a sudden hush over them as everyone focused on Shauna. "Please...begin!"

Serena noticed a bit of nervousness right away from Shauna, seeing her nearly knock a mixing bowl off off the counter, but fortunately, she seemed to right herself fairly quickly with it, Ivysaur stopping it from falling, while she quickly grabbed the first ingredients necessary. It seemed Ivysaur would be staying at the baking station with her, while Skitty's duty would be to gather the right berries.

"Skitty!" Shauna called, her gaze darting to where the judges sat, "I need an Oran Berry, a Mago Berry and a Pecha Berry! Make sure the Oran Berry is small and the Mago Berry is big. The Pecha Berry needs to be in between."

"Excellent early work by Shauna!" Pierre said, the crowd cheering as Shauna had Ivysaur pick up some various ingredients off a counter while she began mixing and Skitty darted off. "Ivysaur covers her early mistake, and Skitty is off quickly to find ze necessary berries with precise instructions!"

"Good so far," Gabby noted, watching curiously. "Not sure if I'd use that combination of berries, though..."

Serena shifted uncomfortably, agreeing with Gabby on that. Shauna seemed to be thinking quickly, but her current recipe seemed to be going for a very sweet pokepuff. Serena was sure at least one of the Pokemo would like it, but Shauna needed to be focusing more on their specific typings rather than a more basic recipe. Unless she was trying to come up with something newer and flashier...

"Ivysaur, keep everything smelling nice and sweet! Use Sweet Scent!" Shauna then ordered, just as Skitty seemed to find the last berry that was desired. "Skitty, help sort the rest of the ingredients, and Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf to chop the berries!"

With that, Shauna tossed the berries up, Ivysaur aiming up with a Razor Leaf as she did so. As the berries were sliced midair, Shauna quickly caught them in a mixing bowl, quickly darting over to where Skitty was nudging the rest of what she needed towards her. As she opened the oven to put the first mix in for the first pokepuff, Ivysaur used Sweet Scent one more time to fill the oven, and the stage, with the sweet smell. Serena could hear the audience sighing in contentment.

"It appears as though Shauna wants ze first pokepuff to be as sweet as ze bond she shares with her Pokemon!" Pierre called out, the crowd cheering. "An interesting decision zat our Pokemon judges will have to decide if it is correct!"

"Which Pokemon is she thinking of?" Gabby asked, looking confused. "I'm sure they'd all like something sweet, but it's not taking into account their typing much. The Pokemon used for these performances usually want some kind of variety."

"Is she trying to focus on showing what she's best at?" Dawn asked, not as experienced in the pokepuff department as Serena and Gabby, so not sounding too sure.

"It would make sense with how she usually uses Ivysaur and Skitty," Serena said thoughtfully, pursing her lips nervously as Shauna called for Skitty to gather another collection of sweeter berries. "It's not like it's a bad move..."

"But it's not what the judges are expecting at this point," Gabby murmured, sounding surprisingly worried. Serena supposed she was hoping for their teams to meet later on as much as she was. "She'll get points for being unique, but...maybe it's too unique."

As Shauna continued, Serena could see that the worry wasn't just her own. Pierre was putting a positive spin on things, and despite the similarities in recipes Shauna's execution was still excellent. However, Serena noticed a small frown appear briefly on Wallace's face as Shauna commanded another Sweet Scent, this time over the collection of berries, while Skitty darted in, using Sing to get the crowd further into the spirit as she searched. As the second mixture went in the oven, Aria and Palermo could be seen exchanging a brief, confused glance.

"Now, Ivysaur, use Vine Whip to keep mixing, and Skitty use Sing as you get a Custap Berry and three Pecha Berries!" Shauna then ordered, twirling around Ivysaur as she grabbed a couple of ingredients. Serena couldn't help but smile, seeing Shauna enjoying the baking now that she was into it, despite everything else. At least Amelia's taunts weren't bothering her now.

When Skitty had gotten the berries and Ivysaur had used one last Razor Leaf to cut them, Shauna was quick to get the final mixture into the oven. Ivysaur once again used Sweet Scent to keep the fresh smell drifting over her station and the crowd. It certainly seemed to have an appetizing effect on the Pokemon, who were all watching excitedly now, but Serena could now see the audience looking a little curious about the focus on sweet ingredients as well at this point.

Once the baking had finished, though, the only thing that mattered now, was the judging and Shauna's final questions. As the pokepuffs were taken to the judges table, Shauna moved forward to stand next to Pierre, while a light shone on the judges once more, first focusing on Palermo and Gible. As the crowd quieted down, Serena and the others watched closely as Palermo observed the pokepuff, before Gible ate it in one gulp. Then, Pierre asked Shauna her first question.

"Gible appears to have eaten up zat pokepuff very quickly!" he said, the crowd laughing as Gible looked like he wanted more. "Now, for ze first question. Gible is ze first stage in ze Garchomp evolution line. What is ze second Pokemon in zat line?"

Serena wasn't surprised as Shauna quickly gave the correct answer. "Gabite!"

"Being around Professory Sycamore all the time, there was no way she'd get that wrong!" Dawn said, laughing as the crowd cheered loudly.

It appeared the following question was just as easy for Shauna, with Totodile eating up the pokepuff right before just as Gible had. Shauna was asked which Pokemon along with Totodile were offered to beginning trainers in the Johto region, and she'd answered Chikorita and Cyndaquil right away. Marie had likely been a help with that one, considering her Chikorita from her Levels and Experience class had been her preferred Pokemon due to her interest in the Johto starters.

Finally, when it came to Munchlax, it surprisingly ate the pokepuff a little slower than the other two. However, part of the reasoning for that actually appeared to be it savouring the taste, which Serena felt was possibly a better sign.

"For ze final question, Shauna," Monsieur Pierre then said, the crowd going quiet as they listened, "would you tell us ze most important factor in how Munchlax evolves into a Snorlax?"

For a moment, Serena and her friends watched worriedly as Shauna seemed to consider the question. Then, she smiled, looking over to her Ivysaur and Skitty as she answered. "Friendship!"

"Excellent!" Monsieur Pierre called out, the crowd cheering loudly for Shauna as Serena and her friends high fived. "Shauna has completed her Theme Performance, demonstrating speed, a sweet baking talent and ze wits of a Masterclass performer! Now...time for ze judges to give her a score! We will begin with Wallace, ze Top Coordinator from ze Hoenn region!"

"I found it to be an excellent performance," Wallace said, smiling as he looked to the Munchlax with him. "Shauna clearly displayed her bond with her Pokemon, she acted very quickly, and she displayed her knowledge of Pokemon as well. My only concern is the emphasis on a sweet recipe for the pokepuffs for each Pokemon. A variety would do, as stunning as the presentation was, and how well it accentuates Shauna and her Pokemon."

That had been exactly what Serena and Gabby had been concerned about, and as Palermo began to speak, it seemed she was voicing the same concerns. "As Wallace said, Shauna displayed exceptional skills. The variety was lacking, however. A strong performance with all the steps considered, but we need the strongest of performances here in the playoffs."

"I thought most of it was Kalos Queen worthy!" Aria said, sounding much more enthusiastic. "Shauna knows who she is, and isn't afraid to show the world. I just hope next time she shows us even more about herself!"

Serena couldn't help but smile at that, realizing that Aria had said what the others had, but made it sound much more positive. It seemed to make Shauna feel much better, too. As the three judges put their heads together to give a final score, Serena could see that she was still quite nervous, though.

"Now," Pierre called out, the light shining on all three judges now, "judges, please give us Shauna's final score!" Serena and her friends waited silently as everything went silent. Then, a moment later, a number flashed on the screen. "A seven! A wonderful start, and we'll see how ze rest of our performers fare against it!"

As the next performer headed out, a girl from Camphrier College, Serena and Dawn headed over to wait by the door for Shauna, Gabby heading back over to wait with her own team. When Shauna returned, the next performance was just being announced, this one being an obstacle course, followed by sorting flower arrangements and making some kind of design with them. Serena didn't focus on it too much right away, though, encouraging Shauna as she returned.

"You did a great job, Shauna," she said, smiling. "You looked like you were really having fun out there!"

"A seven won't be good enough, though," Shauna murmured nervously. "You guys are going to need to make up for my mistakes now..."

"It wasn't a mistake," Dawn told her, shrugging it off. "It was just a certain style the judges wanted to see changed up a bit."

Shauna sighed at that, glancing over to where Amelia was standing with her team, appearing bored as she watched the performance on screen. "I just wanted to show who I was...and I didn't want it to be anything like her...or anyone else like that."

Serena frowned at that. She understood what Shauna was saying, but it was strange for her to have let Amelia get in her head so quickly. She'd performed against her before and done well. It didn't seem right for that to have changed now. _There must be something else bothering her._

They finished watching the next few performances in relative silence, only commenting on certain things they would've done differently, or specific moves they found impressive. Serena was impressed with how different the Theme Performances were made. It certainly made it difficult for anyone to specifically plan for their own, even with seeing the others. There were similar events like baking, but the things being made were different, and the Pokemon eating were different and then the additional steps alongside it were different. It made for an exciting set of performances and it was only the first round.

As Lisa of Laverre University finished, earning Laverre the second perfect score of the day after Kiloude University got one, it was finally time for Fleurrh University to send out their performer. Surprisingly, it was Amelia. Serena had expected she'd be doing the Freestyle, but she seemed pretty intent on heading out there.

"I might as well show everyone with a low score what's necessary for success," Amelia announced, before heading out to the stage, glancing over to Shauna and smirking. Shauna's score had remained the lowest to this point, with everyone appearing at the very top of their game so far.

"She must want to get a high score right away to keep up with Laverre and Kiloude," Dawn noted, glancing over to where Gabby and Casey were quickly congratulating a bored looking Lisa.

"Make sure to beat her score regardless in the next round," Shauna said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the screen. "We need to show everything else we've got!"

"We will," Serena promised, exchanging a nod with Dawn. It was up to them now.

* * *

"An excellent performance by Fleurrh University's Amelia!" Monsieur Pierre announced, the crowd applauding the impressive fashion and artistic display Amelia had produced, dressing up her Espeon, and then using her Dragonair to create an ice sculpture of Amelia and Espeon at work. "She definitely earned Zat score of nine!"

"That means Shauna still has the lowest score..." Trevor sounded panicked, and Ash glanced over at him, seeing him fidgeting with his camera nervously. "The whole first set of performances are done and they're in last place."

"It's okay, Trevor," Clemont said encouragingly. "There's a long way to go still. And now Dawn's up. She knows the Appeals round better than anyone here I bet!"

Ash nodded, watching as the stage was cleared for the next group of performances, these being the Appeals round. Monsieur Pierre was giving the crowd a brief explanation. Ash knew the rules already, but it was good to have the refresher after the many Freestyle performances he'd seen. Appeals rounds _were_ similar, although there was much more focus on the Pokemon, rather than the trainer being heavily involved in the performance as well. Props were even used by many, although Ash wasn't sure if Dawn would be using any.

"Dawn will turn this thing around for sure," Ash told his friends confidently, turning to them as Monsieur Pierre continued. "And then Serena will finish it off perfectly. It'll take a lot more than this to keep Lumiose down for long!"

"That's for sure," Korrina added, laughing as she looked back down to the stage, Pierre announcing that Dawn would be the first up for the Appeals round. "In Shalour, we'd thought we'd earned our playoff spot way back when you guys were struggling. Now you guys are on your way to winning everything!"

Clemont looked a little embarrassed at that, but Ash grinned confidently as he looked back to the stage as well. "That's because we never give up!" As he spoke, Dawn emerged, waving to the crowd as Monsieur Pierre announced her arrival. "Go get 'em Dawn!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Monsieur Pierre called out, just as Dawn stood centre stage, two pokeballs in her hands. "It is time for ze first Appeals performance from Lumiose University's Performance Team captain, Dawn of Twinleaf Town! Dawn, please select your Pokemon!"

At that, Dawn gave a quick bow, grinning as she stood straighter and then twirled, throwing the pokeballs out. "Quilava! Vivillon! SpoootLIGHT!"

As the crowd cheered, enjoying the entrance of Quilava spinning through the air, before landing on Vivillon's back and the two of them swooping over the audience before returning to Dawn, Pierre raised his staff excitedly. "Let ze performance begin!"

"Quilava, Smokescreen!" Dawn then ordered, backing up as Quilava jumped up in front of her, readying his attack. "Vivillon, blow the smoke with Gust!"

"Lava!" Quilava cried out immediately, standing straight up on the stage, facing the crowd clearly, before shooting smoke up all around him. It created an almost eery atmosphere. Ash couldn't see Quilava at all, and only Dawn and Vivillon were visible behind the smoke.

"Viiivillon!" Vivillon then cried out, flapping her wings hard and curling back behind where Quilava was, just above Dawn. She then sent a massive gust of wind forward, dispersing the smoke almost immediately.

"Incredible!" Monsieur Pierre called out as the crowd cheered. "But wait...where is Quilava!" Ash grinned at that, sensing a bit of Greninja's style in the move.

"Flame Wheel!"

"Quilavaaa!"

The crowd gasped in surprise, Dawn grinning as Quilava burst out from the side of the stage, shooting up into the air and spinning right where the last of the smoke was billowing out. He seemed to shine with his flames and the stage lights, capturing the close attention of the crowd. Pierre was even watching too closely to comment. Ash could sense his friends holding their breath.

"Now, fire off a Swift, Quilava!" Dawn ordered, her Volcano Pokemon ending the Flame Wheel immediately and then aiming straight up with the golden stars, shooting them out so they exploded against each other in a spray of gold fireworks. "Vivillon, use Powder!"

"That's a dangerous move to use so close to Quilava," Clemont noted nervously. "If it touches his flames..."

"It'll be like one of your inventions?" Bonnie asked, looking mischievously at him.

"Maybe..." Clemont murmured irritably, focusing once more on the stage.

Ash just watched in interest, knowing Dawn had a plan for it. As Vivillon darted up among the Swift fireworks, her wings seemed to shine like sparkles. The crowd seemed captivated by it, and Ash couldn't blame them. The stage lights and the fireworks made Vivillon completely take over, and then suddenly, a pink dust was falling down through the fireworks as they began to die down.

"A mesmerizing display, making excellent use of flashy moves with both of her Pokemon!" Pierre then called out, the crowd cheering in agreement. "Let's see if Dawn can finish zis off in style!"

"We sure will!" Dawn announced confidently. "Quilava, use another Smokescreen, and then jump back! And Vivillon, get ready!"

"Lava!" Quilava cried out, darting forward and shooting up another burst of smoke, just before the falling Powder attack from Vivillon could reach the stage and ignite on his flames. He hopped back, appearing ready at Dawn's side.

"Now Vivillon, straight over it and use Gust!" Dawn ordered, thrusting her arm forward confidently.

Ash narrowed his eyes, unsure of what she was planning. However, with Dawn's confident smirk, he was sure it would work. A moment later, he could see why, as Vivillon darted up and then swooped down, flapping her wings and dispersing the smoke and the Powder attack in a swirling circle at the centre of the stage.

"Now Quilava! Ignite it!" Dawn shouted, punching the air in triumph as the Volcano Pokemon jumped up.

"Lavaaa!"

Ash and his friends cheered loudly as the attack burst forth, immediately lighting up Vivillon's Powder attack and igniting the pink dust in bright flames. They seemed to swirl among the black smoke, creating a stunning fiery, pink and black flower at the centre of the stage. As Ash and his friends watched in amazement, he was sure the crowd was going to cheer forever.

Vivillon and Quilava weren't completely done yet, though, the former flying down quickly and catching Quilava as he hopped up. They darted above the fiery flower a moment later, and then Quilva fired off one more barrage of stars from Swift at Dawn's command, giving the crowd another small display of fireworks as they hovered over the fiery flower.

"C'est magnifique!" Monsieur Pierre shouted happily. "An impressive final display! It will be tough for ze others to follow!"

The crowd's cheering continued on for a few more moments while Quilava and Vivillon returned back to Dawn's side. As they began to quiet down, she stepped forward towards Monsieur Pierre, while the lights shone on the three judges. Ash, despite knowing how well Dawn had done, did feel a little nervous as he saw them preparing their judgments. It would be a very important score.

They seemed positive, though, Wallace describing the excellent use of fire and smoke from Quilava, while Palermo and Aria commented on the tactical use of Vivillon's moves from the air. They all seemed to feel Dawn had shown off the skills and traits of her Pokemon quite well, and when it came time to reveal her score, Ash felt much better, and he could see Dawn did as well.

"And ze score is..." Monsieur Pierre then called out, the light shining on Dawn as the screen lit up. "A nine! Lumiose University is back in ze race!"

* * *

Serena and Shauna cheered as Dawn's score was revealed, both clearly feeling a sense of relief in knowing their chances had significantly improved. It was clear that Shauna had been pretty nervous as Dawn had headed out, but she certainly seemed to be feeling better after the strong performance.

"We have a much better chance now!" Shauna murmured, as Pierre then announced the next contestant. "If you can get a score that high, we should be okay, Serena!"

"I'll do my best!" Serena promised, glancing over to where Gabby was with Casey and Lisa, the former appearing to have been focused heavily on Dawn's Appeals performance. "We can't let Laverre get to the finals without us."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Amelia's voice broke in, the Fleurrh performer sniffing as she walked past Serena and Shauna. "Not looking likely no matter what that Dawn girl did."

"I wish I could just have one more chance against her," Shauna muttered, glaring after the girl as she walked away. "I just want to show her what real performing is all about...I want to show all of them."

Serena glanced uncertainly at her. "All of them?"

Shauna shrugged, sighing as she looked to the doors, Dawn emerging and being greeted quickly by Casey and Gabby. "I've just been thinking about those hunters a lot. Seeing Raphael here...I want to show him that we're not going to let him ruin this for us."

Serena nodded, understanding exactly how Shauna felt. It certainly felt weird performing while they were sure there was an evil hunter around, planning...something. To be able to put together a strong performance to show him they wouldn't back down, though...that felt right. "You'll get another chance," she promised Shauna. "I know you will."

A moment later, Dawn returned to where they were, looking more relieved than happy, but still smiling nonetheless. "Well, we're at an average of eight points now. Seems like everyone's scoring pretty high, though, despite the high standards."

"A lot of strong performers are here," Serena noted, looking around, focusing on the familiar showcase faces she knew, but also the Laverre team. "And they all proved themselves just by getting here. This will be tough no matter what round we're in."

"Just focus on this round first," Shauna urged, clenching her fists. "Your Freestyle Performance needs to be in top form!"

Serena nodded, smiling as she turned to watch the screen. They watched the rest of the Appeals round in relative silence. When Laverre was up, and Casey showed off an impressive display with her Ponyta and a Meditite, Serena noticed Dawn tensing up. She supposed it frustrated her that she hadn't been able to settle the score in a battle, but it appeared they were on even terms when it came to the Appeals round, Casey also scoring a nine.

Eventually, the final Appeals performance was concluded, and then Monsieur Pierre was announcing the beginning of the Freestyle Performance round. As he spoke, the screen lit up with the current average scores of the teams, and Serena tensed as she realized the task in front of them, knowing that regardless of what she put up, her opponents were skilled enough to make it close.

 _1st – Laverre University (9.5)_

 _T-2nd – Kiloude University (9)_

 _T-2nd – Fleurrh University (9)_

 _T-4th – Glorio University (8.5)_

 _T-4th – Anistar University (8.5)_

 _T-4th – Snowbelle University (8.5)_

 _T-7th – Lumiose University (8)_

 _T-7th – Camphrier College (8)_

"We're still not qualifying for the next round even after Dawn got a nine?" Shauna muttered nervously. "I really screwed up..."

"It's okay," Serena promised, narrowing her eyes in determination. She noticed an assistant coming in to call her for her performance, realizing Pierre was now on the screen getting the crowd ready. "It's close. Another high score and we'll be right back in it!"

With that, she gave her two friends a high five, and headed out, ready to perform.

As Serena made her way down the hallway towards the stage, she noticed a variety of models for the various mascot Pokemon of the different schools set up. They all seemed very lifelike, even if smaller than their real life counterparts. As she passed a Luxray model, Serena couldn't help but giggle, recognizing Clemont's handiwork. She knew he'd been involved with some of the setup and this seemed to be part of it.

When she reached the edge of the stage, Serena listened as Monsieur Pierre described the familiar rules for the Freestyle Performance. The only difference between this one and the regular season was that the performers would be on the stage alone, rather than with their opponents. The exception would be if there was a tie breaker necessary, in which case the performers would compete for the judges approval.

Serena wouldn't have to think about that right now, however, and as Monsieur Pierre announced her name, she took a deep breath and headed out on stage. She smiled and waved as loud cheers greeted her. Ash led the loudest cheers from where he was sitting with the Battle Team and Korrina. Tierno was also quite vocal from where he was with the other teams' Performance Team members.

As Serena took her place, Monsieur Pierre welcomed her, raising his staff as his Klefki twirled around him. "Our first Freestyle Performance of ze day! I am sure Serena, a Masterclass finalist, will provide us with a stunning show! Please give her a round of applause, and let us begin!"

As the crowd cheered, Serena took a deep breath, the spotlight shining on her. Then, a moment later, the crowd quieting down and watching in anticipation, she called out her three Pokemon for the performance.

"Pancham, Sylveon and Popplio! Let's go!" she cried out, twirling as she tossed out the three pokeballs. A moment later, after three flashes of light, the crowd roared in approval as each of her partners emerged in front, bowing upon arrival after a quick spin in midair.

"A magnificent entrance!" Pierre called out, eyes shining as he looked out across the stage at the Pokemon. "Serena and her Pokemon appear ready to perform!"

Serena smiled at that, looking out across the crowd as she did so. She was pleased as she noticed people immediately looking happier. They wanted a good performance, and they were going to get one.

"Sylveon, use Swift!" she then commanded, hopping back and thrusting her arm forward, Pancham following her. "And Popplio, follow it up with Bubble Beam!"

"Syl sylveon!" Sylveon cried out, opening things up with a spin, her dancing moves immediately drawing the crowd in. With another cry of, "Veon!" she leaped high into the air and fired out a barrage of bright, golden stars that glittered in the stagelights.

As the crowd murmured in amazement, Popplio was quick to add to the impressive display, though, spinning underneath the shing stars as some appeared to sprinkle a gold dust down on the stage. Then, a moment later, she aimed straight up, and fired off a stream of bubbles, encasing the golden stars. "Popplio!" she cried out in joy upon seeing her work, appearing ecstatic as the crowd cheered.

"Now Pancham!" Serena then called out, the Playful Pokemon jumped up as she ran forward and then used her arms as a springboard to propel himself high up, spinning amongst the now floating stars, shining in their bubble casings. "Dark Pulse!"

"Cham!" Pancham called out gleefully, kicking off of a star and exploding it into a gold and blue dusting of sparkles before propelling himself further up. Then, he pulled his arms back, the black and purple energy forming quickly. A moment later he threw it forward, sending the Dark Pulse crashing through the Bubble Beam and Swift combo.

"Amazing!" Monsieur Pierre called out, staring up as the attacks collided, showering the stage in purple, gold and blue sparkles.

Serena wasn't done yet, though, grinning as the crowd cheered her and her Pokemon on. She looked up, watching as Pancham began to descend. She danced through the shower of sparkles, gaining some awed murmurs as she did so, and then pointed up as she positioned herself between Popplio and Sylveon.

"Sylveon, catch Pancham with Fairy Wind!" she ordered, raising her arms in sync with Sylveon raising up her ribbon-like feelers.

"Veon!" the fairy type cried out, the pink wind shooting up and catching Pancham, who cheered as he was bounced back up, flipping in midair for another cheer.

"Popplio, use Aqua Jet! And Pancham, aim up with another Dark Pulse!" Serena slid back, Sylveon doing the same as she fired off another quick Fairy Wind to slow Pancham's descent.

"Pop!"

"Cham!"

Popplio shot into the air quickly circling around in a spiral as Pancham sent the jet of black and purple energy upwards. Once more the crowd cheered, in awe of the display. Serena couldn't help but smile in amazement as well, the bright blue of Aqua Jet clashing brilliantly with the black and purple of Dark Pulse.

"Now Sylveon," Serena called, holding Sylveon's feeler as the two ran forward, watching as Popplio descended and Pancham slowed his Dark Pulse, "finish with Swift!"

"Veon!"

She fired off a single golden star, and Serena, Monsieur Pierre, the judges and the crowd all watched in silence as it ricocheted off the swirling water of Aqua Jet as it travelled up the Dark Pulse Pancham had created. It shot up quickly, creating a shower of gold, blue, purple and black sparks before spinning atop the Dark Pulse and lighting up the entire stage. As the attacks eventually dissolved, everyone still remaining quiet, Serena and her Pokemon bowed, each breathing heavily.

"And finish!"

There was a brief moment of silence, before Serena glanced up and heard Ash and the rest of the team cheer loudly, the entire audience following suit. Monsieur Pierre was quick to follow up.

"A mesmerizing performance. Serena and Dawn appear to have Lumiose University right back in ze mix!" he called out, the crowd cheering in response. "Now, let us find out what ze judges think!"

Wallace was the first, smiling as he nodded his approval to Serena and her Pokemon. "A fine performance indeed! Serena displayed precise timing and she and her Pokemon trusted one another fully."

Palermo was next, and Serena was surprised as she too smiled approvingly. "As Wallace says, the trust was clear to see. No one could doubt your bond with your Pokemon, Serena. You demonstrated understanding in them and in yourself."

"Agreed!" Aria added, as Palermo looked to her. "Popplio showed off your fun and free spirited side-"

"Pop!" Popplio said excitedly at that, juggling some bubbles and getting an appreciative laugh from the crowd. Serena was so glad Popplip had been ready for something this big. She really had enjoyed it.

Aria continued after a moment, grinning as Popplip bowed. "And then Sylveon showed off your beauty, while Pancham added an edge to prove you wouldn't give in to the pressure. It made me look forward even more to your next Masterclass appearance!"

"High praise from ze judges!" Monsieur Pierre called out after a moment. "Now let us see Serena's score." Serena clenched her fists as she waited, hoping she at least kept the team in contention. Then, the score was revealed and she sighed in relief. "A nine! Zat will certainly give Lumiose a fighting chance! Please give Serena another round of applause!"

Serena smiled, giving a small bow with her Pokemon once more, before recalling them back to their pokeballs and heading backstage once more. She could still hear Ash cheering loudly as she headed down the hallway, passing by Fleurrh University's performer, who looked nervous, likely having been lectured by Amelia on how to perform. Serena gave her a sympathetic smile, and then headed into the waiting room, greeted immediately by Shauna, Dawn and Gabby.

"Serena, that was so beautiful!" Gabby said first, eyes shining with admiration. "I can't believe they didn't give you a full ten. I don't know how anyone can top that!"

Serena was sure Gabby was overstating it a bit, feeling that she had slipped up a little bit with Pancham's final Dark Pulse not being quite what she'd imagined with Popplio's Aqua Jet. She was grateful for the compliment, though. "Thanks, I'm sure you'll do something amazing with Altaria, though."

"It really was amazing," Dawn continued, glancing back as she heard Amelia shouting suddenly, clearly unhappy with the performance her teammate was doing on the screen at the moment. "You had the whole crowd buzzing. Even in here we were all excited."

"It made me want to get right back onstage," Shauna added, rolling her eyes as Amelia shouted once more.

"Maybe you'll get a chance," Gabby murmured, looking up to the screen. "Looks like Fleurrh will be dropping a bit."

Serena glanced up at that, watching as the girl she'd passed in the hallway began finishing up her performance. It didn't seem that bad, but the girl and her Pokemon did appear a little flustered. Serena was sure it had something to do with Amelia putting pressure on her. As the judges gave their comments, they sounded impressed with her basic moves, but clearly noticed the nerves. When her score was given, everyone in the room looked over as Amelia fumed.

"A seven?! We're gonna drop to even with..." She glared over at Serena and her friends, although Serena noticed a hint of nervousness in her eyes. It seemed to make Shauna feel better.

"Gabby," she murmured, looking pleased, "I hope you get a nice high score to stay ahead of them. I'm in the mood for a tie breaker!"

Gabby smirked at that, and Serena couldn't help but giggle as well. She could see that the opportunity was there, especially as Camphrier went up next, finishing with an eight and solidifying their position under Lumiose and Fleurrh. If the other teams kept their pace, it would create a very tight finish.

Finally, it was Laverre's turn to go up again, and Gabby locked eyes with Serena as she began to head out. "I hope the crowd enjoys this...we'll see what it's like to perform for them rather than for me."

Serena smiled at that, remembering Gabby's words about performing back when they'd first met. "I hope you and Altaria have fun. Korrina says Vivillon is watching at the Pokemon Centre. I bet it'll be cheering you on."

With that, Gabby was off, nodding silently as she headed out the door. Serena and her friends looked to the screen as Monsieur Pierre then announced her entrance, the crowd cheering loudly as Gabby emerged. As she took her place at centre stage, she took a deep breath, and then called out her three Pokemon. Her first two were the expected Altaria and Ninetales, while the third was a Cubone.

"She rescued that Cubone recently," a voice said from behind them, surprising Serena a little. It was Casey. "She and I were training and it was lost in the woods. It was hurt pretty bad, but she got it to the Pokemon Centre right away and has been training it ever since."

"It wasn't hurt by hunters, was it?" Dawn asked, looking worried.

Casey shook her head. "I think it must've been wild Pokemon. She's got a thing for the injured Pokemon she finds, though. That's part of why she likes you and Absol so much, Serena."

Serena blushed at that, but didn't say anything else as she focused on the screen once more. Gabby had never mentioned her Cubone, but immediately Serena could see that it did seem somewhat inexperienced out there. Not that the performance was being hurt by it, but it had a freshness and eagerness to it. She felt happy just watching it as it excitedly threw a Bonemerang out for Altaria to strike with a Moonblast, making it glow in a pink light as it spun above the stage.

"It's a bit like Popplio in your last performance, Serena," Dawn noted, smiling as she watched as well. "The crowd seems to love it!"

"They'll enjoy anything he does with Altaria," Casey said with a laugh. "Those two are closer than a Plusle and Minun!"

Serena could see that was the case as well, being completely drawn in as she watched the two Pokemon perform together, Ninetales playing her part perfectly as well as she supported them. Altaria guided the whole thing of course, but Cubone added a playfulness that Serena had never really seen in Gabby's performances before, while Ninetales continued to add a majestic feel in the background. It was a stunning mix of power, beauty and joy that appeared to completely draw the crowd in. Even Monsieur Pierre was almost completely silent as he watched.

When the performance was complete, it was no surprise as each of Wallace, Palermo and Aria praised the excellent use of the three Pokemon and the full display of their personalities and talents. Serena couldn't be disappointed at all as Gabby appeared to once more top her own performance with a perfect score of ten.

When Gabby returned, not even Amelia could discount the impressive performance she'd pulled off, and many of the performers in the room came over to congratulate her. She seemed surprised by the response, but as they finally finished, she turned to Serena, giving her a knowing look. Both of them smiled, the realization coming to the Laverre performer's eyes. She'd performed as a Kalos Queen would, and it was a completely different experience.

It wasn't too much longer before the final performer finished up, their score flashing briefly on the screen before Monsieur Pierre called for everyone's attention, the final updated standings appearing on the screen before he continued speaking.

 _1st – Laverre University (9.67)_

 _2nd – Kiloude University (9.33)_

 _T-3rd - Glorio University (8.67)_

 _T-3rd – Anistar University (8.67)_

 _T-3rd – Snowbelle University (8.67)_

 _T-6th – Fleurrh University (8.33)_

 _T-6th – Lumiose University (8.33)_

 _8th – Camphrier College (8)_

"Ladies and gentlemen," Pierre announced, the crowd gasping and murmuring as they seemed to be seeing the standings as well, "as you can see, Laverre University was ze top scorer in ze first round, followed by Kiloude University in second place! Zey will each move into ze semifinals in separate groups. Joining zem will be Glorio University, Anistar University and Snowbelle University, who will be split up randomly, along with ze final team to make it in." Here, he paused, and Serena took a deep breath, glancing over to where Amelia was fuming.

"Looks like you got your wish, Shauna," Gabby whispered, giving her a knowing look. Shauna seemed oddly excited.

"Unfortunately for Camphrier College, despite a strong showing, zey have been eliminated," Pierre then continued, the screen now showing him on the stage again. "However, for ze sixth and final spot for ze semifinals, Lumiose University and Fleurrh University are tied. In zis case, we are forced to have a tie breaking Performance Showdown!"

The crowd seemed completely on board with that, as well as the performers in the waiting room, many looking excitedly over to the Lumiose team, clearly hoping they would beat Amelia after her taunts. Serena just kept her focus on the screen, though. She wanted to know everything that was required in this stage.

"Each team will select one performer now," Pierre then said, the crowd going quiet in anticipation, "and ze two of zem will perform on stage at ze same time with two Pokemon each. Zey will compete for ze judges attention and once ze performances are complete, one performer will be chosen and zer team will move on!" With that, he smirked, looking straight into the camera. "Now, Lumiose University and Fleurrh University...select your chosen performer!"

At another time, Serena would've loved to be the one to head out for her team, but as she looked to Shauna, her friend glaring over to where Amelia was already making her way to the door to head down the hall, she knew who needed to go. She gave Shauna a little hug, smiling encouragingly at her as she looked up in surprise.

"Go win this, Shauna!"

"Yeah!" Dawn agreed, looking excitedly towards where Amelia had departed. "Go show them what a real performer can do!"

"Looking forward to seeing you in the next round!" Gabby added, grinning as Shauna looked to her.

"I...I'll win for sure!" Shauna vowed, taking a deep breath as she looked to the door. "Thanks you guys!"

With that, she was off, and Serena and her friends looked to the screen. Their playoff hopes now rested on Shauna's shoulders. She'd let Amelia somewhat get to her in the first round, but that wouldn't be the case here. She was ready to give a real performance, and show just what an aspiring Kalos Queen could do.

As the two performers took their places on the stage, Serena was amazed at the difference. Both looked determined, but Shauna seemed to have realized what she was performing for, whereas Amelia looked as though she simply wanted to prove how badly her teammates had screwed up. As each called out their Pokemon, Serena couldn't wait for Shauna to show Amelia a true performer's spirit.

"And Shauna has selected Ivysaur and Gothita, while Amelia has selected Dragonair and Espeon!" Pierre informed the crowd, looking impressed as he watched the Pokemon readying themselves next to their trainers. "Let's see how well our battling performers do in zis ultimate showdown to decide who moves on to ze next round!"

"Go get 'em Shauna!" Tierno was heard calling from the crowd. "Show her that perfect rhythm!"

"You can do it Shauna!" Trevor's voice followed.

Before long, the rest of the Lumiose team was calling out to her, their faces even being shown on screen. Serena could see the performers from Fleurrh University looking uneasy as they watched, clearly uncomfortable about showing the same kind of support for Amelia as Shauna's friends were showing. It made Serena realize just how much Shauna deserved this. _Win this, Shauna...I know you can!_

And then, a moment later, it was starting, and each trainer was calling out their first moves, the spotlight darting between them as each showed off a flashy opening move.

"Psychic, Espeon! And Dragonair, use Dragon Dance!"

"Ivysaur, Razor Leaf! Gothita, Trick Room!"

The early edge appeared to go to Amelia, the Dragon Dance performed by Dragonair bringing it high into the air, while Espeon helped it along, giving it a stunning blue aura from Psychic. However, Shauna wasn't far behind in making an impression, the Razor Leaf from Ivysaur darting quickly into the air, before suddenly appearing to pause as she and her Pokemon were surrounded by Trick Room.

"Shadow Ball and Solar Beam!" Shauna then ordered, Amelia moving on to a Swift and Water Pulse combo, Dragonair firing off the water attack from the air.

"Sauuurrr!" Serena's eyes widened in surprise as Ivysaur's attack blasted out, followed by Gothita's Shadow Ball. The light of Solar Beam seemed to brighten up all of Trick Room, before exploding it as it crackled against Shadow Ball. The transparent pink room exploded all around Shauna as she was launched into the air by Ivysaur's Vine Whip and held in place by Gothita's Psychic, spinning through the pink sparkles and bright lights created by the broken room and the remaining brightness from Solar Beam.

"A magnificent move by Shauna!" Pierre called out. "She has grabbed ze attention of ze audience and ze judges with a quick and powerful move early on!"

Amelia seemed to be frustrated by that, and as Shauna called for a Sweet Scent and Light Screen combo from Ivysaur and Gothita, Amelia desperately ordered her next combination. "Espeon, use Swift, and Dragonair, use Dragon Dance and Draco Meteor!"

It seemed to be a desperate move, but Serena couldn't deny it was impressive, gasping as Dragonair appeared to dart up towards the ceiling, Espeon's Swift making it appear to be darting through stars as it moved. It finished with an explosive Draco Meteor that fired orange orbs down across her side of the stage, striking the stars of Espeon's Swift and exploding into orange and gold fireworks.

Shauna wasn't going to be outdone, though, following up without taking any notice of Amelia's counter to her own impressive move. As her Pokemon finished their Light Screen and Sweet Scent combo, which was followed up by Psychic and Razor Leaf being used to create what appeared to be pink leaves that drifted down in a glowing light from Gothita's defensive attack, Shauna called another daring move.

"Ivysaur, get ready with Solar Beam, and Gothita, use Psychic on me!" Shauna called out, giggling as Gothita plucked her off the ground right away, spinning her through the leaves that still drifted down. The crowd gasped as they watched her, both awed and seemingly worried. Serena couldn't help but worry as well, hoping Shauna and Gothita would be careful.

"Saur!"

As the light of Solar Beam expanded from Ivysaur's back, Serena realized Amelia was desperately competing for the focus once more, attempting a Sunny Day and another Draco Meteor with Dragonair, along with a Morning Sun from Espeon. Her side of the stage seemed to shine brighter as she desperately looked over to Shauna, but Serena realized she'd made a costly mistake.

Solar Beam seemed to expand more rapidly, and it fired off in a straight line over Shauna, her Gothita keeping her away from the attack but carrying her under the bright light as it exploded above her, showering the stage in a yellow glow. Meanwhile, Amelia's combination seemed to have brightened up her side of the stage as well, but she seemed thrown off guard by Shauna's Solar Beam having gained so much power.

"Oh dear!" Pierre called out, the crowd murmuring as they watched. "It appears as though Amelia has accidentally aided Shauna's performance with her Sunny Day!"

"There's no going back, now!" Gabby murmured excitedly at that, Serena grinning as well. Shauna just needed to take it home.

"Now, Gothita, use Light Screen one more time, and Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!" Shauna ordered, spinning and giggling with Gothita's help in midair. The blue aura around her faded a moment later, however, as suddenly Gothita's Psychic ended and her body glowed in a pink and white light. Then, Shauna began to descend.

"Saur!"

The Vine Whip was quick, however, and Serena and her friends cheered as Shauna was caught in one smooth motion. She spread her arms wide as Ivysaur swung her around, before she ordered one last Sweet Scent while she was brought back to the ground and place squarely on her feet. A pink dust seemed to flow from Ivysaur's bulb and it drifted over Shauna as she bowed, before glowing lightly as the Light Screen around Gothita brightened. The crowd sighed in contentment as the Sweet Scent washed over them. On the other side of the stage, Amelia's performance finished as well, a Swift and Water Pulse clashing midair and propelling the golden stars out in a ring around her.

As both trainers bowed, the crowd cheered, and then the spotlights disappeared briefly, before appearing on Monsieur Pierre, who raised his staff up high. "Ladies and gentlemen, ze tie breaking performance has finished! Who will be ze lucky team to move on to ze semifinal round?!"

He paused, and the crowd seemed to hold its breath as the spotlights began dancing between the two trainers. Serena was surprised to see Amelia looking uneasy, no longer appearing so sure of her victory as she had been before. For a moment, there even seemed to be a look of resignation on her face. Meanwhile, Shauna simply smiled at her Pokemon, before closing her eyes and waiting.

Then, finally, the lights stopped, shining on one trainer, while Monsieur Pierre pointed his staff in her direction, and Klefki floated towards her, circling her excitedly.

"And ze winner is...Shauna, from Lumiose University! Ze Lumiose Performance Team has qualified for ze semifinals!"

 **Author's Note:**

And so, Lumiose has qualified for the performing semifinals! Ugh this was hard to write, but hopefully it came off okay. I wanted Shauna to have her playoff moment, and add a little more tl the Serena vs Gabby rivalry. I suppose it's up to you to decide if it worked.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time with the battle rounds!


	24. A Sense of Danger

**Author's Note:**

Hello all, we're back with more LU, and today, the battles begin! Lots to get to so hope you enjoy!

 **Chapter 24: A Sense of Danger**

"Rockruff, use Bite! Riolu, block with Metal Claw and then follow it up with Focus Blast!"

Clemont and Korrina couldn't help but laugh at the intensity of the training session before them as they watched Ash putting Rockruff and Riolu through their paces. They'd been going at it for awhile now, and neither seemed to be giving an inch. It was hard to believe that Riolu was still so young, and that Rockruff had joined Ash only after his trip to Alola. Korrina certainly seemed to think Riolu in particular was impressive, she and her Lucario begging for a battle with it once the playoffs were concluded.

"Rrruff!" Rockruff barked out as he charged towards the Emanation Pokemon, Clemont bringing his attention back to the battle. The Puppy Pokemon was quick to reach him, but Riolu already had a glowing fist out in front, blocking with Metal Claw right away as Rockruff latched his jaws onto it. For a moment, Clemont did think Rockruff would be able to shake Riolu off his feet, but a moment later, the fighting type seemed to take control.

"Ru!" Riolu grunted as he shoved forward, causing Rockruff to stumble back from the force, before letting go of the Emanation Pokemon's fist. "RuuuRU!"

Clemont was sure Korrina tensed up next to him, as though surprised by something, her Lucario also seeming to notice something as it grunted. However, Clemont wasn't sure what it was, as Riolu suddenly formed the orb of Focus Blast and thrust his arms forward to unleash it. It missed, as it usually did, heading straight for Pikachu, who was watching alongside Hawlucha.

"Lucha!" the Wrestling Pokemon cried out, darting forward and slashing down on the Focus Blast with a Karate Chop, causing it to explode between Rockruff and Riolu and send them both skidding backwards.

"Aw man, it looked super close that time!" Ash called out a moment later, once the dust settled on the training field they were using just outside the Pokemon Centre. "I thought it was going to work. Good save, though, Hawlucha!"

"Lucha!" Hawlucha nodded in acknowledgment, before posing briefly. He stopped a moment later, though, appearing to notice Riolu looking a little down. "Lucha hawlucha!" He hopped over to the Emanation Pokemon, patting him on the back as Ash, Pikachu and Rockruff approached as well.

"Don't worry, Riolu," Ash said encouragingly as he knelt down next to his young fighting type. "You looked super strong! That was awesome how you blocked Rockruff's Bite, and your speed is getting even better than before. You could match Pikachu someday!"

"Ruff!"

"Pika!"

Clemont smiled as he noticed Riolu looking like he felt a bit better, joining Hawlucha in showing off his muscles with a quick flex. He glanced to his side to ask Korrina if her Lucario had ever struggled with a move like that before, but noticed she was frowning, apparently still thinking of whatever she had noticed during the brief battle. "Something wrong?" he asked, seeing her exchange a look with Lucario before turning to him in surprise.

"Uh...no. It's nothing." She shook her head, as though trying to forget whatever thought was on her mind and then turned to Ash and his Pokemon. "That Riolu of yours really is awesome, Ash! I bet he'll be a really tough Lucario one day!"

Ash grinned at that, Riolu looking up at him in equal excitement. "That'd be so cool, wouldn't it Riolu?!"

"Ruru!" Riolu punched the air in triumph, his little fist a few inches away from Pikachu, who's cheeks sparked as it went up.

"Pika?"

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, although he seemed to have noticed something as well, his eyes shifting back to Riolu a moment. "Something about...Riolu?"

Clemont frowned, exchanging a confused look with Hawlucha and Rockruff, who seemed to be the only two there that were confused by whatever it was everyone else was noticing. "What is it?" he decided to ask, hoping Ash would have a better answer than Korrina. "You guys seem to be noticing something I'm not."

"Huh?" Ash blinked in confusion, looking over to Clemont, before chuckling nervously and rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Uh...I don't really know. I just have a feeling Riolu's getting way stronger!"

"Are you going to use him in your match today?" Korrina asked excitedly, holding up her fists and shaking almost as though she was going to be battling herself.

Ash seemed to think for a moment, eyes drifting down to Riolu, who looked up hopefully. Clemont knew immediately what Ash's answer would be, and he grinned before the words were out of his mouth. "Sounds like a good idea. What do you think, Riolu?"

"Ruru!"

"Ah, so you're going to use Riolu today, huh?"

They all looked up as Flint walked through the doors of the Pokemon Centre, Trevor joining them as they approached the training field. "I've been wondering when you'd be giving him a shot."

"He's looking pretty strong," Ash told Flint confidently, Hawlucha voicing his agreement and nodding sagely next to Riolu, who looked pleased by the praise. "I know it's tough competition here, but he can handle it!"

Trevor bent down a bit and looked curiously at Riolu, fidgeting with his camera as though he was resisting the temptation to take a picture of it. "Think it's about to evolve?"

"Riolu needs to be very close with it's trainer to evolve," Korrina pointed out. "It can take a really long time to get to that point." She laughed as she added, "Even if it's Ash we're talking about."

Flint looked curiously at Riolu as well, though, seeming to think something was up as he studied it a moment. "Might be about to learn a new move. Anything weird happen in your training?"

Ash shrugged as Pikachu tilted his head, leaning forward and sniffing Riolu briefly, his cheeks sparking once more. Clemont was sure the electric mouse was sensing something, and if it was a new move, it was probably quite strong. He smirked as he pulled out a device from his backpack.

"I thought we'd encounter a situation precisely like-"

"Guys!"

The doors of the Pokemon Centre opened once again, and this time, it was Tierno emerging, panting as he stopped in front of the group outside. He seemed oddly upset, and Clemont immediately stuffed his device back in his backpack, exchanging a curious glance with Korrina before they turned their attention to him. Flint seemed on edge as well, apparently sensing Tierno's uneasiness.

"What is it, Tierno?" Trevor asked, patting Tierno on the back as he stood up, taking one last deep breath.

"It's the hunters!" he gasped out, eyes wide with shock. "Raphael's gone!"

* * *

Meowth didn't always admit it, but he did appreciate his time with Jessie, James and Wobbuffet. Sure, they struggled often enough, and they argued and did all kinds of things to one another that most wouldn't do to friends or family. But they were just that...family, and he'd truly missed them during his time imprisoned by the hunters.

When they'd brought him back to the Wetlands, the twerp's Goodra and the Wooper and Swanna accompanying them, he'd been pretty surprised. Considering what had happened previously with them stealing the water supply, Meowth had been very hesitant to approach too close when he was just with Wobbuffet and Skiddo, but apparently Jessie and James had somehow managed to make a temporary peace with the warden, Keanan, and the Pokemon.

"I can't believe you guys have been trainin' dem Wetlands Pokemon," Meowth said, as he and the others, Skiddo among them, headed into Keanan's house. They'd been doing a quick patrol of the area to make sure no hunter activity was going on. After recovering in Keanan's house for a few days, still bruised up by the hunters, Meowth had been eager to go on a few patrols, joining his friends as soon as Keanan had decided he was healthy enough.

"We had to come up with something," Jessie said, looking nervously outside at where a police car was parked. Officer Jenny appeared to be visiting after the investigation they'd run into the hideout. Keanan had immediately wanted to report it once Meowth had arrived with the information about it.

"If we'd figured out where you were, we would've had an army to get you out," James added, although he looked embarrassed about the idea, knowing it wouldn't have been likely. Meowth appreciated the thought nonetheless.

"Not that knowing where you were would've helped apparently," Jessie muttered as they glanced into the living room, where Officer Jenny was talking to Keanan. "They still don't seem to have found anything in that cliff."

"They must've built it deep inside," Meowth suggested, although he really had no idea. Considering the fall he and the others had, he couldn't really know. The hunters definitely had a base up there, but the entrance was clearly hidden very well by the rocks.

Officer Jenny and Keanan seemed to have noticed them standing there, and the latter waved them over. Neither side seemed happy to see the other, but Meowth knew there was nothing Officer Jenny could get Team Rocket in trouble for right now, and Keanan seemed in support of the training the Wetlands Pokemon were getting. _And we need to know what Officer Jenny found out so we can bust our Pokemon out,_ Meowth realized as they sat down around the table.

"Well, we were just discussing this hideout you've been describing to us, Meowth," Jenny murmured, pulling out a notebook and looking at it briefly. "We may have found some kind of tunnel that could be what you fell out of. There hasn't been any clear sign of an entrance yet, but this is a sign something is there. Considering the hunters that were left at the police station a couple days ago, what you've told me and what we've discovered, we might be able to go after this Raphael. As long as we can get some kind of sign of this base being more than just this tunnel."

"You've gotta be sure you're gettin' him," Meowth told her seriously, remembering Raphael's plans to attack the IPL Playoffs. "He's got somethin' planned against those schools. Den who knows what he'll do if he's got our Pokemon with him."

"I've contacted the police in Lumiose City," Jenny said calmly, looking to Keanan, who leaned forward, almost looking amused.

"We've contacted Professor Sycamore as well, who will be informing Champion Diantha and the other top officials there. It sounds as though Ash and his friends have been suspicious of Raphael for awhile as well, but haven't had the information necessary to come forward without giving him time to get away." He looked uneasy as he said that, and Meowth realized that he was likely nervous that Raphael had been given that chance with the current police investigation.

"The Laverre City Gym Leader contacted us as well shortly after," Jenny added, sighing as she put her notebook away. "She's expressed some concern about Raphael in the past, but without evidence, she's had to be careful. She believes she's heard him on the phone discussing hunter operations. It all seems to be adding up...I just hope we aren't too late."

"Well you'd better stop him!" Jessie snapped, looking furious. "If he gets away, he'll get away with our Pokemon!"

"The boss- er, I mean...we just got some of our Pokemon back," James murmured sadly. "I don't want to lose them again."

For the first time, Jenny and Keanan gave them sympathetic looks, and Meowth felt a bit embarrassed about how soft they seemed to be coming off. _We're gonna steal Pikachu when this is over,_ he thought, glaring at the ground a moment, before looking up as Keanan spoke again.

"Raphael could've gotten away with much more if he'd been hauled off with no evidence and been allowed to get away on empty charges. These kinds of things need to be thorough. We don't know how powerful he might be." He looked out his window, watching as the twerp's Goodra was leading a drill with some of the Wooper that Jessie usually trained. "There is a proposal I'd like to suggest, however."

This seemed to surprise Officer Jenny, but Jessie didn't seem to care if it was police-approved or not and immediately leaned forward, eyes shining with interest. "What's the plan? We blow up their base? We can get a hot air balloon up there in no time at all!"

"Der's gotta be some way we can get in der," Meowth agreed, unsheathing his claws as he nodded in agreement to what Jessie said.

Keanan looked a little uneasy as he glanced at Officer Jenny, but then shook his head, smiling a little at Jessie's and Meowth's response. "I think we should go to Lumiose City. They may need the reinforcements."

* * *

Ash frowned as he stared at the monitor in the Battle Team's waiting room, watching as President Goodshow and Robby Cole discussed the upcoming matches for the opening of the battling rounds. He could see just a hint of unease on each of their faces, clearly aware of the Raphael situation, but both were doing a fairly good job of keeping focused on the topic of battles. With the host team about to take on Cyllage College's team, who were coached by Cyllage City's Gym Leader, it was definitely drawing a lot of interest.

"All right guys," Flint said, glancing up at the screen as well, appearing somewhat distracted by the news received earlier as well, "I know it's a bit of a weird way to start, but there's not really a lot we can do right now. We've just gotta trust Officer Jenny to track Raphael down, and then we'll need to be ready if he tries anything."

"It's possible whatever plans he may have had are over now," Professor Sycamore, who was joining them briefly after getting an update from Diantha about Raphael. "With an investigation into his hideout, he could be fleeing, in which case it's out of our hands."

"So the playoffs go on," Agatha added, looking seriously to Ash and his teammates. "You kids have worked hard to get here, so we won't let that fool ruin it for you. If anything, you can prove you're ready for whatever he might try by winning this whole thing. He won't want to mess with us once we show how strong we are!"

Ash grinned at that, exchanging a smile with Pikachu at Agatha's words. He stood up, looking to Clemont and Trevor. "Agatha's right! Maybe Raphael's out of here like Professor Sycamore says, but if he's not, let's show him what Lumiose University's all about. We're not going to lose, whether it's the playoffs or in a fight against him!"

"He's probably scared off because of how many tough trainers have shown up anyway," Trevor said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself, but smiling confidently nonetheless.

"He will need to be more careful if attention is on his base now," Clemont pointed out, looking thoughtful as he stared at the Luxray model in the room they were in. Ash had been thoroughly impressed with the robotic models set up at the arena and the theatre. Clemont had really gone all out in designing them. "If he was planning on doing anything here, he'll probably be watching and waiting for a better opportunity."

"Well if he's watching, we'll show him what he's up against!" Ash said confidently, holding a fist up as Pikachu did the same from his shoulder. "We'll just keep getting stronger as we go along. Just like always!"

"That's the spirit!" Agatha said, nodding in approval. "Now let's go out there and win that first match!"

Her call seemed to be timed with Robby Cole's, as just in that moment, they heard the announcer excitedly calling out to the crowd, his voice heard through the TV in their waiting room, and down the hallway and from the stadium. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, the time is finally here! Are you ready Pokemon fans, from Lumiose, Kalos and the Pokemon world?! It's time to finally kick off the IPL Playoffs Battle Conference, with the first match being the Cyllage College Tyrunts against the host Lumiose University Luxrays!"

Ash grinned as he and his team began to head down the hallway, the crowd getting louder and louder as they approached. They paused as they reached the edge, waiting to be officially announced. Ash felt his heart racing with excitement as he looked out towards the platforms where the trainers would stand, each looking over an empty pit where the battlefield would be raised up. It was just like it was back during the Kalos League, with the only exception being a balcony set up behind the trainer's platform where the coaches and the other trainers on the team would be watching from.

 _This time, I'm leaving this arena a victor,_ Ash thought as he glanced up, seeing the packed stands with the cheering crowds. _And even better, it'll be with all my friends!_

His thoughts were interrupted a moment later, however, as Robby continued on with the introductions, the crowd finally quieting down. "It's been a long season for these two teams, folks," he called out, the crowd going silent as he warmed up. "Cyllage College has shown the sturdiness of a city with a master rock type Gym Leader, while Lumiose University has electrified us all with their stunning comeback to make it here. One could've looked at these two teams right at the beginning and thought of them as contenders to win it all, but now, they meet for round one! So, without further ado, let's welcome them!"

"Heads up, and backs straight!" Agatha quickly whispered, Flint chuckling in response to her words, but following her orders as well. "Let's show them we're ready."

"Please welcome, from Cyllage College, captain Sophie, and her teammates Macy and Jonas!" Robby's call was followed by a cheer, and then the forms of three people emerging from the opposite end of the stadium. Ash could see the two girls that had shown a touch of hostility at the opening ceremonies, while the third member of the team, Jonas, looked to be somewhat sullen, obviously just wanting to get to the battling. Sophie, the captain, looked quite confident as she marched to the end of the platform, her teammates behind her. She seemed to have her eyes focused on the Lumiose Team.

"Remember what Marie found out about them," Trevor whispered, while Robby introduced the coaches for Cyllage's team, including Grant, who received a loud cheer. "They all use rock types, just like Grant. And Sophie's apparently got a super strong-"

He was interrupted as Robby's call blared out through the stadium once more, and all attention turned to their side of the arena. "And now, from the hosting Lumiose University, please welcome captain Ash, along with his powerful teammates, Clemont and Trevor!" Ash almost winced at the loud roar from the crowd, and he gave Pikachu a sympathetic look as he led the team out towards the platform, seeing his partner Pokemon looking a little surprised by the sudden noise. It seemed as though they'd somehow expanded the seating since the Kalos League, and the crowd was even bigger. As Ash and the others reached the end of the platform, he was quickly getting used to the noise, and becoming more psyched to battle in the exciting environment.

As Robby introduced Flint and Agatha, Ash looked across to the opposing team, seeing the narrowed eyes of the three trainers opposite him. They certainly seemed confident, and ready to battle, and Ash knew that with the rules now requiring each trainer to be defeated for the other team to be declared victorious, it could turn out to be a long, hard battle. He wanted it to be tough, though. Showing their strength to Raphael aside, there was no point going through a tournament if it wasn't against super strong opponents.

"Now," Robby then called, getting the two teams to look up as they focused on what he was saying, "it's time for the battlefield to be revealed. Remember, just like with the Kalos League, these battlefields will be fully formed environments! A strong use of the field can be a key difference maker for a strategic trainer!" Ash narrowed his eyes, seeing Sophie smirk at that. Clearly she wasn't new to using the field. He supposed Grant was pretty good at teaching some ideas with that.

"Whatever the field is," Ash said, turning to Clemont and Trevor, "we can use it. We've just gotta think quick. There's always something, even if we can't see it right away."

As they nodded, he looked down, hearing Robby continuing while something began to emerge from the darkness below. "And the battlefield for this first battle will be...a grass and forest field! These trainers will need to find a way to make use of the open space when they can, while avoiding damage with those trees for cover. I'm sure we'll see some interesting strategies in this one!"

Ash heard Trevor sighing in relief as the field was revealed. Ash couldn't blame him, though, knowing he was likely thinking the same as him before it had come up. A rock type field would've been tough to handle with rock type trainers who were used to training in that kind of environment. Of course...it didn't seem to bother the opposing team too much that it was a forest and grass field. In fact, they were grinning as they looked at it, even the sullen looking trainer, Jonas.

"Now, will each team please select their first battler! Based on a coin toss earlier, Lumiose must choose first!" Robby called out, the crowd murmuring excitedly, sensing the imminent battle. "And then...we can begin!"

At that, Ash turned to Clemont and Trevor. It wasn't a big deal that they had to choose their trainer first. Substitutions would be allowed during the battle. Of course, it would reveal their Pokemon if they did use that option, and Ash did have a feeling Cyllage could make use of that. Although, if it helped them gain an edge early, it might be worth it. They needed to start strong if they were going to send a message, but they also needed to be ready in case of something unexpected.

"I'll go first," Trevor suddenly offered, looking nervous, but a knowing look coming to his eyes as he glanced at the other team. "I'm the only one of us who has an experienced rock type with them, remember. If I use Aerodactyl, he can match rock attacks with rock attacks, and use the air to his advantage. I can force them to play our game if we play it right, and then we can adjust from there."

"Wouldn't it be better to use Marshtomp?" Clemont asked, looking a little hesitant about the idea. "A water and ground type could keep them on the defensive."

"They'll be expecting that," Ash pointed out, sure that Grant wouldn't let his team ignore the possibility of water types being used against them. "But Aerodactyl's also part flying type, Trevor. He could be vulnerable to rock attacks, too. What is it you plan to do?"

Trevor grinned, holding up a pokeball as he did so. "Aerodactyl's not like a lot of other rock types. He's quick, but he's still got the force a lot of rock types have. I'm sure they'll have a strategy to adjust to the speed disadvantage, so if I can use Aerodactyl's speed and power and force them to react, we might have an edge. I just need one of you to be ready when needed."

Ash looked to Clemont, who seemed surprised, but adjusted his glasses a moment later and nodded, smiling. "It sounds like you've thought this through. I support it."

Ash nodded, holding a fist out to Trevor. "Go out and win then, Trevor! We're counting on you!"

"I won't let you down!"

With that, he gave Ash a fist bump, and took his place on the platform, while Ash and Clemont headed over to the balcony where Agatha and Flint were. As they took their place, Ash realized Cyllage had sent out Jonas in response to Trevor. He was interested to see why, and leaned forward excitedly as the referee emerged at the edge of the field, riding on top of an Aegislash, apparently in order to swoop around the field for a better view. A moment later, he announced the rules.

"This will be a three on three battle between Cyllage College and Lumiose University! Each team member for each team is allowed the use of one Pokemon. When all three Pokemon on one team are unable to battle, the other team will be declared the winner." As Trevor and Jonas nodded in response, the referee waved an arm to Trevor. "Lumiose will select the first Pokemon!"

"Go get 'em Trevor!" Ash called out, hearing the cries of their friends in the stands somewhere above him.

Trevor looked back, nodding gratefully, before turning and facing the field. "Aerodactyl, let's win this!" he shouted, throwing his pokeball forward. A moment later, it flashed brightly as it opened, Aerodactyl emerging and roaring loudly to a cheer from the crowd.

"An interesting first choice for Trevor and Lumiose University!" Robby called out, the crowd murmuring as he spoke. "Perhaps Trevor is hoping to use the skies to his advantage, while also having the ability to use powerful rock type attacks."

"Pretty good choice," Jonas then called out from the opposite end of the field. "But it won't matter against this. Carbink, let's go!"

Ash's eyes widened with interest as the conical shaped rock and fairy type Pokemon emerged, the crystals in its body shining in the sunlight. "A Carbink, huh? Think Trevor can handle it?" Ash asked, noticing Clemont looking troubled.

"I don't know," he murmured, looking thoughtful. "They aren't known for speed, so Aerodactyl should have the edge there, but rock types generally don't rely on speed. I'm sure they've got some tricks up their sleeve like Trevor was expecting."

Ash nodded, looking back out as Robby's voice blared out once more. "Oh baby! It's finally time to get this thing started. The IPL Playoffs Battle Conference is truly beginning now, folks! Let the first battle...begin!"

And with that, the battle was on.

* * *

Serena felt the air almost buzzing with excitement as Trevor called out his first attack, the crowd ecstatic that the battle was finally beginning. She couldn't blame them, she and her friends equally excited as they cheered for their team below. They'd been surprised to see Trevor head out first, but he clearly seemed to have a plan, especially with what they'd been told about Cyllage College's use of rock types.

"Aerodactyl, hit Carbink with Ancient Power!" Trevor's shout was loud and clear, and his Aerodactyl responded in kind, its menacing roar bringing gasps from people all around the stadium.

"And Trevor is the first to make a move!" Robby Cole called out, his excitement coming through his call as Aerodactyl swooped down closer to Carbink, who remained still among the trees, its trainer yet to call a move. "Let's see if he can win this matchup of rock types!"

Serena watched closely as stones began to burst from the ground, swirling around Aerodactyl as a blue aura began to surround them. She'd only seen Trevor use this move once, and it had nearly won him the match against Sasha in their opening meeting with Laverre University. If he was using it to open the match, Serena was sure Trevor wanted to make an impact right away.

"Aerooo!" Aerodactyl then screeched, the stones picking up speed as they swirled around him. A moment later, they burst forward, heading towards Carbink like a barrage of rocky bullets.

"Carbink, Protect."

The simple call was barely heard, but Serena could see the turquoise barrier shoot up in front of Carbink just as the stones of Ancient Power were about to strike. The Lumiose fans in the stands groaned in disappointment as the attack was deflected off the barrier, doing no damage while Aerodactyl flapped his wings in frustration from above. Serena was sure Trevor would have more to do than that, however.

"Protect is less likely to work the more times its used in succession," Korrina murmured from where she was sitting next to Serena. "This is Trevor's chance!"

Trevor seemed to think so as well, apparently deciding it was an opportunity to take the fight in close if Carbink wouldn't be able to defend the same way. "Go, use Giga Impact!"

Serena grinned, knowing the power a Giga Impact could use. With how useful Absol's seemed to be, she was sure Aerodactyl could pull off a big attack. "If Carbink can't defend this, it's going to be a good early hit for Trevor," she noted excitedly, leaning forward as Aerodactyl screeched, his body being surrounded in an orange and yellow light.

"Aerooo!"

Once more, Aerodactyl burst forward, and this time, Jonas seemed resigned to the attack, watching as the Fossil Pokemon rushed towards Carbink. The rock and fairy type didn't seem to consider moving, either, likely too slow to match the speed of the incoming Aerodactyl. Before Robby could even finish announcing the move, Aerodactyl was striking Carbink head on, driving the Pokemon back and causing it to grind into the grassy ground and leaving a long line of turned up dirt.

"Yeah! Way to go Trevs!" Tierno cheered loudly, much of the crowd joining in as Aerodactyl turned back, panting as he tried to recover from his use of Giga Impact.

Serena's eyes widened, and as she turned to look at Korrina, she could see she wasn't alone in her worry. With Giga Impact leaving the user vulnerable after its use, it was the perfect moment to use a counterattack. And, as Serena looked back to the field, she saw Jonas apparently thinking the same thing.

"Now Carbink, take control with Trick Room!" he yelled, the crowd gasping from the order.

"Oh no!" Shauna whispered, knowing full well how Trick Room would change things. Carbink's disadvantage had just become its advantage.

"Amazing move by Jonas and Carbink!" Robby called out as the translucent pink room enveloped the field. "While Aerodactyl was forced to recover from his powerful Giga Impact attack, it was the perfect moment to take advantage. Now, Trevor will have to be careful of what kind of speed boost Carbink will get!"

"We can handle it, Aerodactyl!" Trevor called out, sounding surprisingly confident, although Serena could see his eyes darting around, looking for some kind of weakness. "Aim at the field and use Flamethrower!"

"Aerooo!" Aerodactyl responded, nodding and opening his jaws as he flapped his wings.

"Not so fast!" Jonas countered, grinning as he made his order. "Moonblast!"

"Carrr!" Carbink then cried out suddenly, its body shining in a bright pink light, before suddenly a pink orb burst forward. It shone brightly in front of a stunned Aerodactyl for a moment, the flames just forming in his jaws, before exploding with a bright beam of pink light striking the Fossil Pokemon head on.

"Aerooo!" Aerodactyl cried, the flames in his mouth sputtering out as he fell to the ground.

Serena could see Trevor looking worried now, but she silently urged him on. He couldn't let Jonas keep the momentum up. If Carbink had the speed advantage now, he and Aerodactyl would have to find a way to attack differently.

"Hang in there, Trevor!" Ash's voice then rang out, Trevor glancing back to where the raven-haired trainer stood with Clemont and the coaches. "Trick room is tough, but we can still beat it. We just need to find a way to use it ourselves!"

"What does he mean?" Serena asked, looking to Shauna, wondering if she knew based on her Gothita's Trick Room.

Korrina was the one who answered, however. "Trick Room is still a move," she said, narrowing her eyes as she watched the field. It seemed Jonas was waiting for Trevor to call an attack, clearly wanting Carbink to outmaneuver him with whatever he used. "It's strong, but it's got the weaknesses of a psychic type move as well."

"So if Trevor could use a dark, bug or ghost type move..." Tierno pointed out, sounding hopeful. "But Aerodactyl doesn't know any."

"Aerodactyl, return!"

Serena frowned as the red beam shot out from Trevor's pokeball, recalling Aerodactyl to his pokeball. A moment later, the crowd began murmuring in confusion as Trevor turned back to where Ash and Clemont were, looking a little disappointed, but seeming to wave to Clemont. "I think we need a bit more speed!"

With that, Clemont began to head out to the platform, high fiving Trevor as they passed one another, while Robby informed the crowd of what was happening. "It appears we have a substitution, folks! Trevor and Aerodactyl will take a break, while Clemont will take over for Lumiose in this fight. Let's see what the Lumiose Gym Leader has planned!"

"Go Clemont! Kick his butt!" Bonnie then yelled, getting some laughs from those around them.

Serena was curious to see what Clemont would do, and leaned forward excitedly as he called out his Pokemon. It wasn't what she expected, as Grotle emerged from his pokeball, staring up curiously as the translucent pink light of Trick Room seemed to flash in around them with the new Pokemon inside it.

"What's he planning?" she asked, turning to the others. "Didn't they want...oh wait! Grotle might have the advantage!"

As the referee called for the battle to resume, Serena could see that was the plan, as Clemont immediately called for the first attack. "Grotle, use Leech Seed!"

"Counter with- agh!"

The Lumiose crowd roared in approval as the match seemed to turn in their favour once more, Carbink starting to shift with Jonas beginning his command, but unable to move much before the seed was fired out from Grotle. It struck the Jewel Pokemon right in the centre, before exploding in vines all around it. A moment later, it seemed to envelop Carbink in a green glow as well, while Grotle straightened up, quickly beginning to sap its energy.

"Amazing move by Lumiose University! They've substituted for speed by using a generally slower Pokemon to match the use of Trick Room by Jonas and Carbink." Robby's call seemed to fire up the Lumiose fans even more, the cheering growing louder by the second. "Could this be the turning point needed to take the early lead?"

"I don't think so!" Jonas called, sounding frustrated now. Serena had the feeling he'd been heavily relying on Trick Room, and was quite thrown off by the switch to Grotle. "Carbink, use Gyro Ball!"

"Carrr!"

Serena's eyes widened as Carbink suddenly began to spin, flashing green a few times as it did so, with Grotle's vines still on it, but otherwise not seeming bothered as it picked up speed. Then, it began rushing towards Grotle. Serena heard Korrina mentioning Gyro Ball being particularly useful for slower Pokemon, and she couldn't help but be worried for Grotle as Carbink rushed towards it.

Unfortunately for Carbink, Grotle had a tendency to bite things, and this time, Clemont was fully on board.

"Bite, Grotle!"

"Grotle!" the grass type cried out gleefully, opening his jaws wide as Carbink rushed towards him. The Jewel Pokemon appeared to be some kind of super powered spinning top, but Grotle seemed totally oblivious to that as he clamped his jaws down on it. The crowd went silent immediately as it stopped spinning instantly, completely trapped by Grotle's powerful jaws. Serena almost laughed, seeing the gleeful expression in its eyes.

"Now, use Mega Drain!" Clemont ordered, thrusting his arm forward, the crowd cheering as he did so. From the look on Jonas' face, this was the finisher.

There was a muffled cry from Grotle, and Serena was pretty sure she heard a panicked one from Carbink as well. Unfortunately for the Jewel Pokemon, it seemed there was nothing it could do. The energy being sapped by Leech Seed seemed to be nothing compared to what Mega Drain took. Even though Carbink was a rock type, it seemed to sag in Grotle's jaws as it glowed in a bright green light, its energy being drained rapidly.

"Now, throw Carbink!" Clemont ordered, the crowd gasping at the order. Serena was surprised as well, wondering what Clemont was thinking with the order, with Carbink appearing almost finished.

The answer was revealed a moment later, though, as Carbink was thrown against the wall of Trick Room, the room shining briefly as Carbink hit it, before Clemont ordered a Bite on Carbink and Grotle jumped up, pinning the Jewel Pokemon in place as his jaws closed around it once more. A dark light seemed to shine from his jaws in that moment, passing over Carbink and into the wall of Trick Room, seemingly cracking it from where Carbink was pinned in place. A moment later, there was a great crashing sound, like glass falling all over the field as the Trick Room exploded up around where Grotle was now releasing Carbink.

As the rest of Trick Room faded, Carbink fell to the ground with a thud, and Serena smiled, sighing in relief as the referee flew over on his Aegislash. "Carbink is unable to battle! Grotle and Clemont are the winners!"

"YAAAHHH!"

Serena and her friends joined in the cheering, Bonnie probably the loudest of them as Clemont looked up sheepishly, the screen now giving a closeup of him. With this being the first battle for the playoffs, it was definitely huge to get the first win. Obviously it wasn't over, though, as Serena could see Cyllage College already sending out their next trainer while Jonas recalled his Carbink.

"An excellent first battle by Jonas and Carbink!" Robby called out to the crowd, while Macy, the next trainer, took his place. "Now, Cyllage will turn to Macy, and see if she can turn the tables!"

"Armaldo, let's go!" Macy then called out, a large mantis shrimp-like Pokemon emerging, its blue armoured body shining in the sunlight. It certainly looked tough, and according to Korrina, it was part bug type, so it could be a problem for Clemont and Grotle. As the referee called for the battle to resume, Macy was clearly ready for that to be the case. "Armaldo, X-Scissor!"

"Armaldooo!" the Plate Pokemon roared in answer, beginning to run towards Grotle. It definitely didn't have much speed, so Serena knew Trick Room would've been useful for it against most opponents. She did wish Grotle hadn't destroyed it yet, though, with the grass type still appearing like the slower Pokemon.

Clemont didn't seem too worried, however, clearly having some kind of plan as he glanced back at Ash and Trevor before making his order. "Grotle, use Leech Seed!"

"Grotle!" the Grove Pokemon cried out in determination as he faced down Armaldo, who came at him with its arms crossed in front of it. The crowd seemed to have gone quiet as they watched the coming clash.

Then, Armaldo struck, striking Grotle with full force and sending him skidding backwards as something was fired out from the top of his shell. The attack was clearly effective, Grotle appearing winded as he strained to right himself, while Armaldo looked pleased. However, a moment later, the crowd gasped as the bug and rock type cried out himself, stumbling as a green light surrounded him, his energy being sapped just as Carbink's had previously.

"Wow! An exchange of very different attacks, but it appears each were effective in their own right," Robby announced, the crowd murmuring as they watched the two Pokemon. "Grotle is clearly feeling that effective X-Scissor, but that Leech Seed will be tough for Armaldo to handle, as its energy will be continuously sapped!"

"Now, Grotle return!"

Serena blinked in surprise, exchanging a shocked look with her friends as Grotle was suddenly recalled to Clemont's pokeball, before he turned back towards the balcony where Ash and Trevor were, the two of them cheering him on along with the rest of the Lumiose fans in the crowd. Serena and her friends were joined in, but they slowed their applause as they watched the teammates curiously, seeing Trevor once again heading out to the platform, apparently ready to battle once more.

"Well folks, it appears Lumiose is using the substitution strategy here!" Robby called out, as Trevor sent out Aerodactyl once more. "It worked with Clemont taking over for Trevor, getting them out of the bind Carbink had put them in with Trick Room, but will Trevor be able to come in strong against Armaldo in the same way?!"

"Of course he is!" Tierno said excitedly, tapping his feet to some unheard beat. He looked like he understood the substitution strategy well. "I bet Trevs had this planned right at the beginning. He got Cyllage to play their game. It's totally taken them off their rhythm!"

Serena looked down at the Cyllage students thoughtfully as the referee called for the battle to resume, Trevor immediately engaging Armaldo with a Flamethrower from Aerodactyl, the Plate Pokemon being ordered to use a Water Pulse in response. She could see that Tierno had a point about them being thrown off. Jonas looked frustrated, and while that may have been simply due to losing his battle, it was nothing compared to their captain, Sophie, and her frustration.

"She looked so confident earlier," Shauna noted, following Serena's gaze as the crowd cheered for Trevor's Aerodactyl using the steam from the colliding attacks from earlier to land a Giga Impact that sent Armaldo flying across the field and into a tree. "Did they throw them off that easily?"

"Clemont likes to say that a battle is started when a trainer makes the decision to battle another," Korrina pointed out, smiling as she spoke. "A battle can be decided before it's fought. Cyllage clearly planned for a speed match, likely expecting Ash to have Trevor and Clemont follow his style. With Trevor using Aerodactyl, it seemed they were going to do that, but Clemont's Grotle was definitely an unexpected twist. Now Trick Room's gone, and they've got to deal with a speedy Pokemon that can go head to head with their type preference. And...Ash hasn't even battled yet. That's gotta be intimidating when you're already playing from behind."

Serena couldn't help but smile in excitement at that, proud of her friends for making full use of the playoff rules, and using their teamwork to its fullest potential. They were going to be tough to beat if they could keep their wits about them like this. It was inspiring to see, especially with the Performance Team having their own battles now approaching.

"Ouch!" Robby's call snapped Serena's attention back to the field, where Aerodactyl was recovering from a Fury Cutter that had landed while he was unable to respond after Giga Impact. "That was a hard hit, but it looks like Aerodactyl's getting a little boost from Grotle's earlier Leech Seed! Remember, folks, Leech Seed saps the energy of the Pokemon its used on, and then the energy can be absorbed by the other side, even by a Pokemon that is different from the one who used the attack in the first place."

"Aerooo!" Aerodactyl cried out, straightening up as he gained the energy boost, Armaldo stumbling as energy was sapped from it. Trevor seemed ready to take advantage.

"Aerodactyl, use Flamethrower!" he ordered, holding up his camera as though ready to snap a picture of his victory.

"Aerooo!" the Fossil Pokemon cried out, flapping his wings as he darted down, closer to Armaldo as it struggled from the effects of Leech Seed, and Macy ordered a Water Pulse to defend. Unfortunately for them, Aerodactyl was too fast, easily taking advantage of its opening. The flames burst out immediately as he soared down, rocketing towards Armaldo and scorching the Plate Pokemon immediately.

"Armaldooo!" it cried out in response, the flames lighting up the grass all around it, the crowd gasping as it stumbled forward, falling to its knees. It glanced up, breathing heavily, just as the flames began to die down, only for it to wince again as Leech Seed sapped some more energy. This seemed to be Trevor's chance for the finisher.

"Now, one more Giga Impact!" he ordered, getting his camera ready.

Serena and her friends joined the crowd in cheering as he snapped the perfect shot, just as Aerodactyl landed the strike.

* * *

"And Cyllage College is down to their final Pokemon!" Robby announced, the crowd murmuring excitedly as Sophie passed Macy, taking her spot on the platform opposite to Trevor, who was recalling Aerodactyl to his pokeball, looking pleased with his victory. "It appears Lumiose will be switching out as well. With both Clemont and Trevor having battled, will they be going with a fresh Pokemon from their captain?!"

Ash confirmed that suspicion a moment later, nodding to Clemont, Agatha and Flint as he stepped off the balcony and headed out to meet Trevor on the walkway towards the platform. "Great job, Trevor!" he said, high fiving him as they reached one another. "You and Aerodactyl were awesome!"

"Thanks," Trevor said, looking a little embarrassed by the praise, but happy nonetheless. "Now you just make sure to finish it off. Remember, that Sophie is apparently pretty strong, and you can bet she'll be determined now."

"Riolu can handle it!" Ash said confidently, Pikachu murmuring agreement as they grinned and headed out to their platform.

"It'll be a battle of captains now!" Robby called out as both Ash and Sophie took their places. "Neither has battled yet today, so it's sure to be good one! Let's find out who their Pokemon will be!"

Ash grinned, excited to show just what he and Riolu had. This was a big challenge for his young fighter, and even though he'd beaten Hau back in Alola, it was an entirely different stage now. He had full confidence, though, and he made that clear as he threw the pokeball forward. "Riolu, I choose you!"

As Riolu emerged, flipping once before landing straight in front of him, Ash also called out Hawlucha to stand at his side with Pikachu, the Wrestling Pokemon looking just as excited as the rest of them about the battle. He immediately got Riolu's attention, and seemed to call out some instructions to him. "Lucha lucha lucha! Hawlucha lucha!"

"Ruru ru!" Riolu answered, holding up a fist in confidence, while Hawlucha nodded, appearing pleased.

Robby, and the crowd, seemed to find it very amusing. "It seems as though Ash's Riolu has an enthusiastic coach helping him for this battle! Let's see if the younger fighting type can impress the wise old Hawlucha!"

"That little baby is no match for what I've got!" Ash looked up in surprise as Sophie glared ahead at him and Riolu. "Don't get too cocky about your wins so far. Cyllage is taking this thing now. Tyrantrum, it's feeding time!"

With that, the Cyllage captain threw out her pokeball, and a moment later, her Pokemon was revealed. There were gasps and murmurs throughout the crowd as the massive T-Rex-like Pokemon emerged, roaring and shaking the field as it locked onto its opponent. It seemed to do its best to intimidate Riolu, bearing its fangs and roaring loudly as it stomped on the ground, looking as menacing as possible, ready to charge at any second.

"Ruru!"

"Oh wow, would you look at that!" Robby sounded ecstatic, and the crowd certainly seemed to be enjoying Riolu's antics as well. "Riolu isn't troubled by Tyrantrum one bit! He's ready to get this battle started! I guess we should let him have his wish! How about it, folks?!"

The crowd roared their approval, while Ash grinned and readied himself. With that, the referee floated upwards on his Aegislash, and then raised an arm, swinging it down as he made his call. "Let the battle begin!"

As pumped as Sophie seemed to be for this battle, Ash knew he wasn't going to miss his chance for the first attack, and Riolu seemed more than ready to follow, bouncing on his feet as he looked ahead at the fearsome Tyrantrum. "Go Riolu, use Quick Attack!"

"Ruru!"

Sophie, Tyrantrum, Robby and the crowd could barely react as Riolu took off with a speed that even Pikachu would have a hard time matching. He appeared almost like a streak of white light as he burst forward, grass kicked up behind him as he ran. He leaped up towards the trees as he ran, kicking off one of them before driving his whole body into Tyrantrum's side, the force somehow powerful enough to send the Despot Pokemon stumbling over, roaring in pain from the quick strike.

"Amazing!" Robby yelled as Riolu hopped back, punching the air in triumph from his successful attack. "Little Riolu puts Tyrantrum on the ground with a mighty Quick Attack!"

"Lucha!" Hawlucha cheered, pumping his fist as well as he looked ahead.

Ash knew they couldn't get too comfortable, though, seeing Tyrantrum already beginning to stir, and Sophie looking furious about being hit so quickly. Immediately, she was ordering a counter. "Tyrantrum, use Rock Slide!"

"Riolu, Metal Claw!"

As Tyrantrum roared, rising to its feet as fast as it could, Riolu darted back, one fist glowing white as he readied for the assault heading his way. He appeared confident, though, and Ash was amused as he noticed Hawlucha looking equally at ease next to him. A moment later, though, Tyrantrum was up, roaring as rocks seemed to shoot up out of the ground in front of them, before flying through the air and hovering over Riolu, who locked his eyes on them.

"Rantruuummm!" Tyrantrum then roared, the large rocks suddenly plummeting down towards Riolu.

"Now Riolu!" Ash yelled, pumping his fist confidently. He knew in his heart Riolu could fight it off.

"Ru ru ru!"

The crowd went wild, completely amazed at what happened next. As the rocks rushed towards Riolu, he engaged immediately, striking the first rock, one nearly three times his size, and sending it falling to the side. Then, he shattered the next, and sent the one after that straight into a tree. Before anyone knew what had happened, the Emanation Pokemon was hovering in midair, a combination of rubble and large deflected rocks underneath him as he turned his sights on a shocked Tyrantrum.

"Now, hit him with another Quick Attack, and follow it up with Metal Claw!" Ash ordered, punching the air in tune with Riolu, who did the same in answer to Ash's order.

"Ru!" The Emanation Pokemon landed on one of the stones he'd deflected from Rock Slide, before kicking straight off of it and darting towards Tyrantrum once again. The huge rock type was stunned once more by the much smaller Pokemon's ferocity, as Riolu crashed into its midsection with full force.

"Tyrantruuummm!" Tyrantrum roared in discomfort, eyes bulging as Riolu hit him. Unfortunately for the Despot Pokemon, the assault wasn't over, the young fighting Pokemon then darting up with his fist glowing in the white light of Metal Claw. Before Tyrantrum could even look, his jaw was being struck hard by the super effective attack and he was staggering back once more, crying out from the strike while Riolu flipped backwards, ready to engage again as soon as necessary.

"Unbelievable!" Robby called out, the crowd roaring in excitement equal to his own. "Riolu is demonstrating incredible strength to go along with lightning speed! Is there any way Tyrantrum can handle the mighty team of Ash and Riolu?!"

"Just watch!" Sophie yelled, narrowing her eyes as she looked towards Riolu. Ash could see that she was ready to go with an all or nothing strike now, desperate to turn the tables before it was too late. They would need to be ready for whatever she did next. "Tyrantrum, use your most powerful attack! Head Smash!"

"Oh my! This could be just what Sophie and Cyllage College need!" Robby called out in surprise. "Head Smash is one of the most powerful moves Tyrantrum can use, even if it comes at a cost of serious recoil damage."

Ash narrowed his eyes, sensing Pikachu and Hawlucha tensing next to him. Clearly Sophie was desperate, but if she was willing to use this move, it meant she thought it would give her a chance. He needed to make sure that Riolu could handle it.

"Riolu, hang in there with Endure!"

"What's this?! Ash is planning on letting Riolu take the hit! Let's see if he can handle it!" Robby's call was followed by the gasps of the crowd, watching on as Tyrantrum roared and then lowered its head, charging as Riolu readied himself in front of Ash, bracing for impact as he clenched a fist at his side, a soft, green glow appearing around it.

"Rantruuummm!"

"Ru!"

The two Pokemon seemed to lock eyes for a moment as Tyrantrum neared Riolu, the ground shaking as he charged. However, Ash noticed the Despot Pokemon's eyes suddenly widen with surprise, just as he was about to make impact. Then, as he struck, the whole field seemed to shake, the trees on the battlefield seeming to groan with the power of the attack as the energy emitted shock waves around the two Pokemon. Dust shot up around them as they were locked in place, the crowd murmuring excitedly as they looked on, desperate to see how Riolu fared. Then, the dust began to settle.

"What?!"

Ash was almost just as surprised as Sophie, his eyes widening as he looked at the scene in front of him. He could tell they weren't the only ones stunned, the entire crowd seeming to go quiet as they stared at the scene on the battlefield. Only Hawlucha seemed to have any reaction.

"Lucha!"

Ash could barely believe it, regardless of how confident he'd been in Riolu, and how well the battle had gone up until this point. However, what was in front of him was a completely still Tyrantrum, its head pressed up against Riolu's fist, a green glow just beginning to fade from it, before he slowly pulled it back. As he let go, there was a big thud as Tyrantrum's limp body dropped to the ground.

The referee, one of the first to recover from the shock of the moment, moved forward with his Aegislash. "Tyrantrum is unable to battle! Riolu and Ash are the winners! The match goes to Lumiose University!"

"YAHHH!"

The call seemed to open the floodgate of cheers, and Ash couldn't help but grin as he looked up, seeing his friends rooting for him from the stands. With everything the team had gone through to get to this point, it couldn't have felt better. And with what lay ahead, it was a crucial, message sending victory.

"Absolutely incredible! Riolu learns Drain Punch and knocks Tyrantrum out as it charges at him with a mighty Head Smash attack!" Robby's yell seemed to get louder as he continued, the crowd's cheers almost drowning out his voice. "That is one gutsy Riolu, and Ash has certainly trained it well!"

At that, Ash grinned once more, hopping out onto the field with Hawlucha and Pikachu and rushing out towards the surprised looking fighting type ahead of them. "Riolu!" Ash called as they reached him, kneeling next to him as he looked up. "You were so awesome! It looks like Flint was right! You _were_ learning a new move!"

"Pika!"

"Lucha lucha!"

Riolu looked to each of them, still appearing surprised by the strength he'd shown. But then, a moment later, his youthful energy showed itself once more, and he gave a little cheer and mimicked one of Hawlucha's poses. "RURU!"

After his cheer, the Emanation Pokemon jumped into Ash's arms hugging his trainer in excitement over his win. Ash couldn't have been happier for him. _This is what we're fighting for, Raphael_ , he thought, thinking of the hunter. _We'll never lose if we have each other._

 **Author's Note:**

And so, Lumiose sweeps round one, with clever substitutions and a display of great force by Riolu. Hopefully it had enough of a dramtic flare to be entertaining. Other than that, obviously Raphael has been forced to flee. Could that mean he's done...or will he attack soon...

Anyway, not much else to say. Semifinals next chapter. Hope you enjoyed and see you then.


	25. An Electrifying Semifinal

**Author's Note:**

The semifinals are here! We're getting close to the best stuff of course, but we've gotta see if that means championships or not, right? Let's see how our heroes fare in the IPL semifinals!

 **Chapter 25: An Electrifying Semifinal**

Ash smiled as he noticed the door to the backroom of the Pokemon Centre opening, Pikachu sitting comfortably on the top of the cart along with his five pokeballs. As soon as the electric mouse noticed him, he jumped off the cart and up onto Ash's shoulder while Nurse Joy stopped and picked up the tray with the pokeballs, handing it to Ash.

"Thanks for healing my Pokemon, Nurse Joy!" Ash told her, grinning up at Pikachu. "Gotta make sure everyone's ready for the semifinals later today!"

Nurse Joy nodded, smiling at his enthusiasm. "My pleasure, Ash. Although I hope you aren't planning on doing another intense training session before your match!"

Ash laughed, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Uh...yeah, we won't. I just wanted to do a little more before and it got a bit out of hand." He narrowed his eyes in determination as he looked to Pikachu again. "But we're totally set for the semifinals now! And then it's on to the finals!"

"Well good luck!" Nurse Joy told him. "And make sure to cheer on the Performance Team for their semifinals matches today as well!"

"I will," Ash promised, turning with a wave. "See you later, Nurse Joy!"

As Ash turned around, making his way to the door and walking out, he glanced over towards the training field, feeling a little guilty about his extra training. He'd meant to head over with the rest of the team to the performance theatre, but had been so caught up with working on Riolu's Focus Blast and some of Decidueye's quicker movements that he'd lost track of time. Fortunately, he knew he'd be able to make it there for the battles in plenty of time.

When he stepped out of the Pokemon Centre, however, he was distracted as he noticed a familiar face walking down the path ahead, in the direction of the performance theatre. He quickly ran forward to catch up, not sure if he was wasting his time or not, but deciding to try nonetheless. He waited a moment before speaking, wondering if he'd be noticed, but decided to go ahead as he slowed down to keep pace.

"Hey Anton...heading to the performance theatre?" Ash knew Laverre's matches had been the night before, but he supposed Anton might want to see his sister's competition in action.

"I've got someone to see there," the Laverre student muttered, not glancing in Ash's direction and continuing to walk as though he was still alone.

"Gabby?" Ash asked, not expecting an answer, and not getting one as Anton remained silent. "Uh...how are you and your teammates doing? After...you know..."

"Raphael wasn't around much anyway," Anton said, glancing back in Ash's direction briefly, before looking ahead again. "It bothers my sister and...I don't know. It's not a big deal."

Ash frowned, exchanging a curious look with Pikachu before moving to walk next to Anton rather than behind him. "It _is_ a big deal, though, isn't it? He's a hunter. He hurts Pokemon. You...you know what kind of damage he's done."

Anton quickened his pace, but Ash kept up. They walked at on oddly fast pace for a few seconds before slowing down again, Anton sighing in frustration. "Why do you care so much?" he muttered, glancing at Ash again. "About how it affects my team, I mean."

"I just thought you guys probably trusted him if he was your coach. I know I'd be pretty hurt by that." Ash shrugged, not really sure of what else to say. "I just hope you guys are doing okay."

"We're fine." For about another minute, they walked in silence, Ash trying to think of something to say again, but unable to. Then, Anton spoke once more. "I'll deal with Raphael eventually. I told you before...I crush my enemies."

Ash couldn't help but laugh a little at that, getting a curious look from Anton. "I thought you might've meant me when you said that."

For a bizarre moment, Ash was almost sure he saw a smirk on Anton's face, but he turned away too quickly for Ash to know for sure. "I want to beat you...but only on the battlefield. I hope your Greninja's ready for the finals."

Ash grinned at that, holding up a fist in challenge. "You bet he is! All my Pokemon are ready!"

"That was an impressive fight your Riolu had the other day," Anton then noted, almost seeming surprised himself by the compliment he was giving. "Drain Punch is a powerful move."

"Thanks," Ash said slowly, feeling like he needed to be somewhat cautious about saying something that would make Anton go silent again. "It sure looks powerful. I didn't expect Tyrantrum to go down like it did."

Anton shrugged as though it wasn't surprising to him. "It might look big, but it was still a rock type going up against a fighting type. You had it won before it started. Whether they plan for type disadvantages or not, it still makes a difference if you're already going up against a stronger trainer."

Ash blinked in surprise, realizing Anton was complimenting him once more, even if he wasn't fully aware of it. "Uh...your battle against Santalune was pretty good too. Must've been fun to battle a bug type trainer considering your Scizor...and your dad."

"It might've been better if I..." Anton shook his head, adjusting the sunglasses on his face. "What were you doing at the Pokemon Centre?"

"Some last minute training and getting my Pokemon checked out before today's match." Ash was sure Anton could've guessed that. It was fairly obvious.

"Was..." Anton coughed, shifting uncomfortably a moment, before continuing. "Was Vivillon there? Gabby mentioned Korrina had brought it with her."

Ash shook his head, smiling to himself as Anton turned and made sure to look ahead. "Vivillon's with Korrina at the performance theatre now, I think. Nurse Joy said it was frustrated being kept at the Pokemon Centre for the first round since it's healthy now, so Korrina's just letting it stay with her."

"Does it know about Raphael?" Anton's voice was quieter now, and a bit strained.

"Yeah..." Ash didn't really know what else to say to that. Anton would have to decide if he wanted to do anything about making sure Vivillon was safe from Raphael.

They didn't say anything more as they finally neared the performance theatre. Ash could see many students and fans waiting out front, with there still being a bit of time before the battles would start. Ash even noticed Dawn, Serena and Tierno out front, talking to Gabby and Casey. He saw Anton tense as soon as he saw the group as well, but he quickly took off, obviously not wanting to engage in conversation with any of them.

Ash watched him go, giving Pikachu a sad look, before heading over to where his friends were, Gabby noticing him first, and apparently having seen him with Anton. After a quick greeting, she frowned in the direction Anton had gone, while Casey looked to be shaking her head in exasperation having noticed as well.

"Was he actually talking to you?" Gabby finally asked. "He's barely said a word since Raphael took off."

"You'd think he was best friends with Raphael," Casey added, sighing as she glanced back to where he'd disappeared again. Ash was sure she had a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "I know they sometimes trained with each other, but Raphael left on 'business' a lot. He wasn't around too much."

"He...he talked a bit about the battles," Ash said, deciding not to mention Vivillon. That was Anton's business if he wanted to discuss it with Gabby. Serena caught his eye, though, and he had a feeling she knew he wasn't revealing everything. "Maybe he just wants to focus on the playoffs right now."

"Hm..." Gabby seemed to suspect he wasn't saying everything either, but she let it go, looking to Casey instead. "Well, I guess we'd better go join the others. Good luck with your matches, guys. We'd better be meeting in the finals!"

Dawn smirked, looking to Tierno confidently. "No need to worry. We'll win no matter what!"

Gabby nodded approvingly at that, before looking to Serena once more. "And in case you guys are wondering...I'll be battling for Laverre in the finals. I hope you choose the right trainer to go up against me."

With that, she and Casey were off, leaving the Lumiose students in silence for a moment, before Dawn and Tierno decided they should be going as well, since they were the ones battling today. "Fantina will want to go over a couple of last minute things with us," Dawn explained, Tierno nodding in agreement.

"Okay, I'll see you guys backstage later," Serena said, she and Ash waving to the pair as they set off. For a moment, they stood quietly, looking out among the other students gathered around, before Serena broke the silence. "So, Anton...is he all right?"

"I...I don't know for sure," Ash said honestly, sighing as Pikachu patted his cheek comfortingly. "He...he's on our side, though."

"Why wouldn't he be?" Serena asked, seeming a little surprised by the statement. "Even if he's handled things the wrong way with Vivillon and been a bit...moody, he can't be in support of anything Raphael's done."

Ash shrugged, not sure how to explain it. "It just...it seems weird that Raphael would be a coach for an IPL team, doesn't it? Anton had said something about beating his enemies before. He meant Raphael but...it made me think about what Raphael might've tried to do."

Serena frowned, looking around nervously before answering. "You think he tried to make Anton a hunter?"

"I...I don't think he would've tried with Anton or Gabby," Ash said, although Anton's comment about his enemies had certainly made him uneasy before. "They've been hurt too much by hunters to ever do that. But...who knows what he's said to the others."

"It just gets scarier by the day," Serena murmured, looking shaken by the suggestion. "If Raphael is using one of them, then it's like he's still here."

Ash saw her hand going to where she held her pokeballs, and he knew she was worrying about Absol in particular. He felt bad bringing up his thoughts now, when they should've just been focusing on the day's exciting battles. He found himself moving to Serena's side, putting his hand on her shoulder. "We'll handle it," he promised. "We won't give up."

* * *

"Bonjour ladies and gentlemen! It is almost time for ze semifinals for Group B of ze IPL Performance Conference. Last night, Laverre University qualified for ze finals with impressive wins over Snowbelle University and Anistar University. Today, we will see Kiloude University, Glorio University and Lumiose University face off for ze chance to meet Laverre University in ze Championship!"

Dawn barely paid attention as Monsieur Pierre spoke onstage, his voice heard both from the theatre speakers and the TV monitor by where she and the team were waiting. Fantina had been giving a brief pep talk, but she seemed to be fairly confident in Dawn and Tierno that she hadn't felt the need to say too much. Mostly, they were just eager to get started.

"It's hard to believe we're here after where we started," Shauna said as a brief highlight reel of the previous round and the Group A's semifinals battles were shown on TV. "We didn't even have a single point after two matches!"

"We sure got lucky," Tierno said, sighing as he seemed to consider the bind they'd been in. "We barely squeaked in even with a good record over the final stretch."

"It wasn't all luck," Dawn told him, Fantina echoing the sentiment. "We worked hard to get here. Maybe we worked extra hard because we fell behind early. We're better because of it!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Tierno murmured in agreement. "It sure was an interesting ride. Not the usual kind of beat I'd like to dance to, but we really put things together."

"It's not over yet, though," Shauna said, narrowing her eyes as she looked to Dawn and Tierno. "You guys have to get us into the finals, now! And then we can finally settle the score with Laverre!"

"And show Raphael what we're made of while we're at it!" Tierno added, grinning as he looked to the TV, Monsieur Pierre now announcing the matchup order. It seemed Lumiose would be in the first and third matches, taking on Glorio University first, and then Kiloude University.

"Not just Raphael..."

Dawn frowned in confusion, glancing to Serena as she heard the whisper. It seemed none of the others had, all focused on the TV now. She could see Serena seemed somewhat troubled. "You okay?" she asked, wondering if Serena was thinking of that offer from Lusamine again.

The Performer quickly shook her head, though, glancing at the screen, and then Dawn, smiling awkwardly as she recovered herself. "Yeah, sorry...just distracted." She took a deep breath as she looked to Tierno and then back at Dawn. "I know you guys can do this! We've come too far to end now. Gabby told us she's battling in the finals so we need to make sure we meet her there!"

Dawn grinned, sure she knew what Serena was thinking, and fully on board with giving her the opportunity if she could make sure to win her upcoming battle. "We'll make sure we're on that finals stage, no need to worry!"

Serena seemed to feel a little better as she said that, and the team once more focused on the screen as Monsieur Pierre was shown once more after the highlights finished. "And now, ladies and gentlemen," he said, the crowd going quiet, clearly sensing the moment was arriving, "it is time for us to welcome our first two teams to battle it out! Remember, each win will be worth three points, while a draw will be worth two. Each team will battle ze other teams once, so six points are available. If a team wins both zer matches, zey will be ze team to move on! So, without further ado, let's welcome Lumiose University's Coordinator, zer dancing enthusiast, Tierno!"

Tierno grinned and tapped his feet a couple times, before getting up and making his way to the stage. Dawn and the others wished him good luck, and he waved quickly, before heading out. They quickly looked to the screen as he headed out, seeing him appear, a large spotlight on him while the crowd roared in approval. He got an extra loud cheer as he gave them a little dance to show he was ready for battle.

"And from Glorio University," Monsieur Pierre then continued, "it's a Masterclass Performer, please welcome Concetta!"

"Concetta's battling?" Dawn looked to Serena and Shauna in confusion, seeing they were both surprised by the choice.

"Performers are a lot tougher than people think, I guess," Dawn said, laughing with the others as they looked back to the screen. It would certainly be interesting to see how a Performer and a Kalos League participant matched up. Tierno would likely be able to use stronger attacks, but Concetta would definitely have some flashy moves to use.

"In ze semifinals," Monsieur Pierre then said, the introductions now complete, "ze trainers will battle one against one with standard contest rules. Zer will be five minutes on ze board, and whoever has ze most points at ze end will win, unless one side's Pokemon is unable to battle or zey run out of points early, in which case ze other trainer will win. Our judges are once again Palermo, Aria and Wallace!"

The three judges appeared on screen, the spotlight on them as they gave a small wave, Aria being the most enthusiastic of the three. Dawn was a little worried that the judges being the same would be an advantage to Concetta. Since two of them had more of a connection to performing. Of course, they'd judged well up to this point, and as long as Tierno battled with his style, he would be fine.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to watch zis semifinals match between Tierno of Lumiose University, and Concetta of Glorio University?!" Pierre then called out, the crowd roaring their approval, while Tierno and Concetta pulled out a pokeball each. "Zen let ze match begin!"

"Go, Scraggy!" Concetta called out, elegantly spinning and tossing out her pokeball, her Scraggy emerging with a flip through the air, before landing softly on its feet.

"Chimchar, let's move and groove!" Tierno then shouted, spinning and tossing out his pokeball, Chimchar emerging closer to the ground and breaking right into a spin before standing up straight, ready for battle.

And with that, the semifinals had begun.

"Scraggy, start things off with Focus Blast!" Concetta ordered first, mimicking her fighting type's moves as she pulled her arms back along with him. Dawn could see the orb forming in Scraggy's arms, ready to be launched.

Tierno didn't seem bothered, though, tapping his feet along with Chimchar, before both did a pirouette. "Flame Wheel, Chimchar! Right over it!"

The order surprised Dawn, but a moment later, as Chimchar surrounded himself with flames and Scraggy's Focus Blast was sent flying forward, she was quickly impressed. Chimchar cried out happily as he spun forward, shooting into the air and seemingly bouncing off of the blue orb of Focus Blast, sending it crashing to the ground like a ball, sparking blue and red as it hit. Meanwhile, Chimchar soared higher into the air, showing off his mighty Flame Wheel in the bright lights at the centre of the stage, before descending quickly on a stunned Scraggy.

"Scrag!" the Shedding Pokemon cried out as he was hit, stumbling back while Concetta shouted in concern for him.

"Quick, use Brick Break while he's in close!" Concetta ordered, just as Chimchar bounced off of Scraggy, his Flame Wheel ending.

Tierno was too clever for that, though, spinning and pointing ahead as he called a quick order. "Ember and flip back!" he shouted, Chimchar, firing out the flames and spinning back to avoid Scraggy attempting to drive a glowing fist into him. A moment later, the fighting type was sent stumbling back again, though, the Ember attack striking him and leaving his body smoking.

"A very impressive start for Tierno!" Monsieur Pierre called out, the crowd cheering loudly. A brief shot of the rest of the Lumiose team and their other friends was shown on screen, Ash and Bonnie leading the loud cheers that followed. Dawn and the others backstage couldn't help but join in. "He's held on to all of his points so far and has taken out quite a few of Concetta's with his quick and precise dancing strategy!"

Concetta wasn't going to give in easily, though, her fans cheering her on in the stands as well. "Scraggy, get in close with Ice Punch! Use it on the ground and mess up that dancing!"

"Scraggy!"

The dark and fighting type was quick to execute, and Tierno seemed thrown off by the indirect attack. He seemed to lose focus in his dancing for a moment, his Chimchar pausing as well as it stumbled back from Scraggy, before the ground was struck nearby him, the ice forming. He backed up quickly, but it spread too fast, and before he knew it, ice was all around his feet.

"Chimchar!" he cried out in surprise, slipping as he attempted to get back into his dancing rhythm with Tierno.

"Now, use Focus Blast and keep it on the ice!" Concetta ordered, Scraggy keeping low as he darted forward, forming the blue orb. Dawn clenched her fists nervously, seeing Scraggy easily make use of the ice, sliding gracefully along it and knocking a few points off of Tierno's score.

However, Tierno wasn't going to let Concetta and Scraggy keep up the pressure long. "Chimchar, use that ice and spin on your back!"

"Chimchar!" Chimchar cried out in response, dropping down immediately and spinning, picking up speed quickly on the slippery ice. The move seemed to make Scraggy hesitate, unsure how to approach, but a moment later, he thrust his arms forward, firing off the Focus Blast.

"Now, Ember!"

"Charrr!"

"It's Counter Shield!" Dawn exclaimed, she and her friends cheering as the fire attack seemed to swirl around Chimchar, blocking the Focus Blast and sending it flying into the air and exploding into blue sparks. The defensive move seemed to knock off a good chunk of Concetta's points, and it wasn't done, the heat of Chimchar's move melting the ice and causing steam to rise above the stage.

"Oh dear, it's getting hot in here as Chimchar has turned up ze heat!" Monsieur Pierre called out, Chimchar jumping up out of his spin and tapping his feet in tune with Tierno.

As Concetta's points dropped further, Tierno kept up the pressure, ensuring he wouldn't give another opening like he had with the Ice Punch. "Chimchar, Fury Swipes on the melting ice!"

"Chimchar!" the fire type seemed to cheer, smirking as he looked at a stunned Scraggy, before quickly appearing to chop at the water. It sprayed up in slushy chunks, pieces shooting up in Scraggy's direction, the messy water appearing to throw off its concentration further, along with Concetta's.

"Tierno's throwing off her rhythm completely!" Serena said, leaning forward excitedly. "A Performer's Pokemon doesn't like getting messy like that!"

Dawn grinned, seeing that Tierno seemed to see that as well, Concetta's points now down to her final few, leaving her open to one final attack. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel now!"

Concetta wasn't going down without a fight, though, narrowing her eyes as she decided to make a final push. "Scraggy, use Brick Break!"

"Charrr!" Chimchar enveloped himself in flames right away, the remaining icy water around him seeming to evaporate with the heat as he burst forward. Scraggy was ready, though, his fist glowing white as he thrust it forward to block Chimchar's roll and send him flying upwards.

"A great defensive move by Concetta!" Pierre called out as Chimchar was thrown up, crying out in surprise. "And zat has knocked a few points off of Tierno's score! Can Concetta make a comeback?!"

"I don't think so!" Tierno shouted confidently, surprisingly seeming pleased with Concetta's move. "Chimchar, Ember from above, and then use Fury Swipes!"

"Focus Blast!" Concetta countered.

"Charrr!"

"Scrag!"

The crowd cheered and gasped at the rapid exchange of commands, and Dawn could sense the tension as the flames and the Focus Blast were sent rushing towards each other. They exploded immediately, a cloud of smoke shooting up between both of the Pokemon, the attack knocking some points off of Tierno with Concetta's move successfully blocking his. However, Dawn knew right away it was over, with a shadow darting through the smoke immediately.

"Chimchar!" The Chimp Pokemon was on Scraggy in an instant, swiping at him and knocking him back in surprise. As Scraggy fell to the ground, the Lumiose fans cheered immediately, knowing what that meant.

 _BZZZ!_

"And zat is ze match!" Pierre called out excitedly. "Tierno has won ze first semifinals match for Lumiose University and has earned zem three points in Group B!"

"Yes! That's the way to dance, Tierno!" Shauna shouted excitedly, Dawn and Serena joining her in cheering, while Fantina nodded approvingly.

"Now it's up to you, Dawn!" Serena said, the group looking back to the screen as Tierno and Concetta shook hands, Concetta and Scraggy appearing quite impressed with Chimchar. "We'll be in the finals with one more win!"

Dawn nodded, feeling excited about the chance to do something so crucial for the team. She'd let them down in their final match against Laverre in the regular season. If it hadn't been for Tierno, they wouldn't have even made the playoffs. Now, she had the chance to right that wrong. Although, she was aware that Kiloude was looking quite formidable, having only been topped by Laverre in success early on in the playoffs.

Fortunately, they would have a chance to watch Kiloude in action, though, even if it wasn't their captain competing first. As Tierno returned from the stage, the team congratulating him happily, Pierre announced the next two coordinators competing. With Glorio having lost the first match, they would need to win and hope for a three way tie to have another chance. If Kiloude won, though, the final match between them and Lumiose would decide who would go on to battle Laverre in the finals.

The two coordinators appeared to be quite talented as they began the match, and Dawn knew right away that if it did indeed come down to her match against Kiloude, it wouldn't be easy, with their other coordinator likely being the best they had. The one on stage now, Natalie, was using an Arbok to dart around the stage quickly, its speed almost overwhelming their opponent. If Glorio's coordinator, Tony, wasn't so quick with his Flareon, it would've been over quite quickly.

As the match went on, though, it became apparent that Glorio's time in the playoffs was coming to an end. Natalie and Arbok were just too quick, and once they had managed to land a strike with a Poison Tail, Flareon was too slow to defend against attack combinations or use flashy moves for points. It was a valiant effort, but Kiloude's team had earned the high scores in the first round for a reason. If Lumiose was going to move on, Dawn would need to be at the top of her game.

When the second match was done, and the trainers had shaken hands, Dawn stood up, taking a deep breath as Monsieur Pierre began announcing the third and final match of the semifinals. "No need to worry, guys," she said to her friends, pulling out Piplup's pokeball. "We're winning this!"

"We know you can do it!" Serena told her, smiling as she gave her a thumbs up.

"You're captain for a reason, Dawn! Lead us to victory!" Shauna added, excitedly looking to the screen as Pierre first announced the next Kiloude coordinator, Melissa, who Dawn had seen using a Golduck in the first round.

"Use that rhythm!" Tierno finished, tapping his feet as he spoke.

With that, Dawn turned, heading to the stage as Pierre finally announced her name. "And from Lumiose University, please welcome zer captain, Dawn from Twinleaf Town!"

"YAHHH!" Dawn was surprised by the theatre-shaking cheer, led by Ash and the others in the Lumiose group. She recovered quickly, though, waving to them and smiling, before turning ahead to face Melissa, who nodded briefly. They both knew the stakes, and it was time to battle.

"As with ze previous two matches, zis will be a one on one contest battle!" Pierre called out. "However, zis match is ze most crucial of zem all! Ze winner will be moving zer team on to ze finals to face off against Laverre University!"

The cheered loudly once more at that, while a spotlight then shone on where the Laverre students were sitting. Dawn could see Gabby looking excitedly back at her, while Lisa glared. Jimmy seemed to be lost in doing some kind of dancing in his seat, while Casey appeared distracted. Dawn wondered if she was disappointed that she wouldn't have a chance to battle Dawn again, considering Gabby was taking the final match.

The current match quickly took Dawn's attention once more, though, and Monsieur Pierre called for both trainers to call out their Pokemon. As Dawn expected, Melissa called out a Golduck, who definitely looked pleased being on the stage, bouncing in place and eager to move. Dawn was ready to counter it with another water type, though. "Piplup, spoootttLIGHT!" she shouted, twirling and throwing the pokeball out as the crowd cheered her on.

"Piplup!" the Penguin Pokemon cried out as he emerged, flipping and bowing as he landed on the stage.

"And zis match will be a battle of water types!" Monsieur Pierre declared. "Piplup against Golduck! I'm sure it will be exciting! Let's see how zer trainers guide zem in zis crucial match! Let ze battle begin!"

With that, there was a ding from the bell that signalled the start of the battle, and Dawn tensed, ready to call her first order. Unfortunately, Melissa was faster, her and her Golduck already set to move. "Golduck, Aqua Jet!"

"Golduck!" the Duck Pokemon cried out, water surrounding its body, before it launched forward. The speed was incredible, the crowd murmuring in amazement as it soared across the stage. Dawn and Piplup were so stunned that the Penguin Pokemon had no chance to dodge, struck hard by the attack right away and losing Dawn a few quick points. Melissa was quick to keep up the assault, too.

"Now, Brick Break, followed by Aqua Tail!" she ordered, her Golduck transitioned from the Aqua Jet so elegantly as he twisted around, that the crowd was once again mesmerized. Fortunately, Dawn was ready to counter.

"Block with Peck, and then use Whirlpool!" she shouted, Piplup nodding as his beak glowed white, extending out as Golduck struck forward with a glowing fist. The attacks clashed as Piplup jumped up, but Dawn could see her loyal partner had the edge, likely due to the flying type move matching the fighting move. He managed to force Golduck to stagger back, the Duck Pokemon trying to twist around with Aqua Tail, but too late for the Whirlpool quickly forming above Piplup.

"Pipluuup!" he cried out thrusting his flippers forward and catching Golduck immediately, the Duck Pokemon crying out in surprise as he was plucked off the ground and began swirling around.

"C'est magnifique!" Monsieur Pierre cried out, the crowd cheering the counter by Dawn. "After a quick early strike by Melissa and Golduck, Dawn and Piplup have turned ze tables, taking a commanding lead on ze scoreboard.

Dawn grinned, seeing that it was true, her points down a little bit from the first attack, but Melissa's having dropped about a quarter and continuing to lose a few thanks to Whirlpool still spinning Golduck around. Melissa had a plan to stop the bleeding, though, quickly ordering Golduck to use Aqua Jet to get out of the Whirlpool.

"Golduck!" he cried out in answer, water engulfing him head to toe as he stuck his head up as high as possible above the Whirlpool. Then, a moment later, he shot out, the spinning from Whirlpool causing him to spiral out. Unfortunately, that got the crowd, and judges, excited, knocking a few points off of Dawn's score and quickly stopping Melissa's score from dropping. It wasn't over yet, though, with Piplup's Whirlpool ending and Golduck poised to charge from above with Aqua Jet.

"Now strike! And then hit Piplup with Confusion to hold it back!" Melissa ordered, pumping her fist in excitement as Golduck launched himself down, Piplup looking up in shock.

"Piplup, aim up with Ice Beam, now!" Dawn shouted, knowing they could slow the attack and maybe get a flashy move out of it.

"Piplup!" the Penguin Pokemon called out in response, looking pleased as he seemed to sense Dawn's plans. He aimed carefully and then fired off the icy energy, striking Golduck as he descended.

"Duck!" Golduck shouted in fear as the Ice Beam hit, the water around him freezing immediately. Dawn knew Ash had told her about using an Ice Aqua Jet technique before, but it appeared Melissa had no such technique available to her, at least not without preparation. Golduck was sent totally off course, crashing into the ground and sending ice shards everywhere.

"Golduck, get up quick and use Confusion to send that ice at Piplup!" Melissa ordered, clenching her fists as Golduck staggered to his feet, her points dropping to a little above half, while Dawn had about three quarters. The move looked impressive, though, and Golduck was quick to act, a blue aura surrounding him while pieces of ice began to float up, aiming to Piplup. Dawn's points started to drop before they even moved towards Piplup.

Dawn had a counter in mind, though, pointing ahead as Piplup readied himself. "Bubble Beam!"

"Pipluuup!" he cried out, sending a stream of bubbles out.

The crowd roared in approval as the ice shards were struck, some exploding with the bubbles and showering the stage in frosty sparkles, while some were encased in bubbles and began to float into the air. Dawn grinned, hearing Ash and the others lead a cheer for her as Melissa's points dropped some more. They just needed a couple more combinations and they could do this.

"Golduck, make it your own! Brick Break and Aqua Tail!" Melissa then ordered, obviously planning to shatter the display Dawn and Piplup had made. That was fine with Dawn, as she and Piplup could use it for another attack.

As Golduck leaped forward, a fist glowing white while his tail was surrounded in water, he struck out at the bubbles and ice shards around him, spraying the field with the remains of the ice and water. It dropped Dawn's points a bit, but Golduck was distracted, and Piplup was primed for a direct strike.

"Piplup, Whirlpool, one more time!" she shouted, the Penguin Pokemon already darting forward, flippers raised up.

"Golduck?" Golduck said in surprise, in midair as he struck at some floating bubbles. He could only glance back as the Whirlpool expanded in front of him and plucked him inside once more, losing further points for Melissa, who gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Oh dear!" Pierre called out as the crowd murmured in excitement. "It appears Melissa was too caught up in Dawn's display and opened herself up to an attack. Can Dawn take ze match right here?"

"I plan to!" Dawn announced loudly, the Lumiose fans cheering at her declaration. "Piplup, in the Whirlpool!"

"Piplup!" he cried out, leaping forward immediately and splashing down in the vortex of water, where Golduck was crying out, trying to stay afloat. Piplup seemed to pick his spot well, though, looking perfectly comfortable, despite the worried sounds of the crowd.

"What's zis? Dawn has had Piplup go inside ze Whirlpool!" Pierre called out. "I hope she knows what she's doing!"

Dawn smirked, seeing Piplup locking his eyes on Golduck confidently. They had the perfect strike ready. "Bubble Beam!"

"Luuup!" the bubbles burst out, and for a moment, they seemed to spin around the Whirlpool aimlessly, but a moment later, they seemed to pick up speed as they rushed towards Golduck, circling around and around until they neared where he'd been pulled into the vortex.

"Golduck!"

There was no way he could get out with Aqua Jet this time, the Whirlpool having taken hold of him too securely. He was battered by the Bubble Beam, pulled even further in the more he was hit, Melissa's points dropping more as he was struck. He was completely open for Piplup's finisher, and Dawn thrust her arm forward as she called the order.

"Peck! Full power!"

"Pipluuup!"

The Penguin Pokemon let the Whirlpool take him, but he used that speed to aim his beak straight ahead, the power focusing and extending it outwards. Melissa seemed to notice what was about to happen and desperately called for a Confusion attack, but unfortunately for her and Golduck, he just couldn't focus enough. Before they knew it, Piplup was descending on the Duck Pokemon and poised for the final strike.

"LUUUP!"

"Golduuuccckkk!"

The Whirlpool exploded in a huge spray of water as Piplup landed his attack, the Penguin Pokemon leaping out easily, and landing in front of Dawn with a bow. As the water fell like rain on the stage, Golduck did as well, breathing heavily as he staggered to his feet. He seemed to know what had happened, though, as did his trainer, and as both looked to the scoreboard, it was revealing the victor.

 _BZZZ!_

"And ladies and gentlemen!" Pierre shouted excitedly, the crowd ecstatic as the winner was revealed on the screen. "Dawn has won ze second semifinal contest battle against Melissa and Kiloude University!" A spotlight once again shone on the Laverre University students, Gabby looking as happy as the Lumiose fans. "Zis means zat ze IPL Playoffs Performance Conference Championships will be a double battle between Laverre University and Lumiose University!"

At that, Dawn looked to where her friends in the crowd were, seeing Ash looking to his Battle Team teammates. She met his eye, the two exchanging a nod as the silent message passed between them. There was only one thing left to do now.

It was time for the Battle Team to join the Performance Team in the IPL Championships.

* * *

"Oh baby! It's another exciting match here in the semifinals of the IPL Playoffs Battle Conference, folks! With Laverre University having earned their spot in the finals earlier today, Lumiose and Kiloude are fighting hard for their chance to face off against them. It's only the first battle, but Trevor and Jamie are having a fierce opening match with Marshtomp and Pinsir already exchanging many powerful attacks. Who will emerge victorious and gain their team a crucial early lead?!"

Clemont laughed lightly as Ash cheered loudly next to him, joining the crowd in their enthusiasm for Robby's call. It certainly was an intense match, with Trevor and Marshtomp needing to put everything into the battle. They would certainly need to give the two of them a rest for the next battle.

"Come on, Trevor! You guys can do it!" Ash's call seemed to encourage another cheer from the Lumiose fans in the crowd, and it seemed to urge Trevor and Marshtomp on as they kept up the pressure on their opponents.

"Marshtomp, Water Gun!" Trevor shouted, just as the water and ground type darted into the river that was part of the grass and water field resembling a meadow. Clemont grinned, watching as Pinsir darted over Marshtomp, turning around in surprise at its quick dodge.

"Marrr!" Marshtomp then cried out, leaping in the air, water shooting up around him, before unleashing the Water Gun. It rocketed towards Pinsir and sent it flying back, crashing hard into the grass, lying still as Marshtomp landed back on the field.

"Pinsir is unable to battle!" the referee then called out, swooping down on his Aegislash to get a closer look. "Marshtomp and Trevor are the winners!"

"Another great showing by Trevor!" Robby then announced loudly, the crowd applauding the battle as both trainers recalled their Pokemon. "He's put Lumiose in a good position here in the semifinals as we await the next battle and our next two trainers!"

Clemont was assuming he would be heading out next, as it appeared Kiloude's captain, Calem, would be going third, and it was probably best to send Ash out against him. However, Agatha got their attention before he could start heading out. He and Ash exchanged a confused glance before she spoke.

"I think Ash should take this one," she said, looking out to see Kiloude's trainer taking their position. "That Calem is supposed to be quite strong, and with Trevor's Marshtomp being so tired out, we need our other two Pokemon as fresh as possible. Decidueye is quite shifty, so I expect he can avoid damage a little easier in this battle and help give us a couple of options to handle Calem."

Clemont nodded, seeing her point. Ash was very good at keeping up the pressure on his opponents, so if he could do that in this round and keep Decidueye reasonably fresh, that would give them a good chance against Calem. "Sounds like a plan. You okay with that, Ash?"

Ash shrugged, grinning as he looked at Agatha. "Sure, but we won't need to worry about using Decidueye against Calem. Clemont will on his own!"

Agatha and Clemont simply laughed at that, as Ash then headed out to the platform, giving Trevor a fistbump as he went. When he reached his position, he pulled out his pokeball, while Robby announced the two trainers to the crowd.

"A bit of a surprise matchup, folks!" he said, while the referee moved to the middle of the field. "Ash has stepped in for Trevor, while Sara will battle for Kiloude! Let's see who their Pokemon will be!"

Sara was the first to call out her Pokemon, a Bisharp, which Ash seemed pleased about. Clemont wasn't surprised, knowing Ash liked his speedy battles. Bisharp would likely provide that.

"Decidueye, I choose you!" Ash then called out, throwing his pokeball out, the ghost and grass type emerging with a flip through the air before landing.

"And it'll be Bisharp vs Decidueye!" Robby shouted excitedly. "Let's see if Ash can handle the type disadvantage."

Trevor laughed as he joined Clemont and the coaches on their balcony. "He knows who he's talking about, right?"

Clemont laughed as well, adjusting his glasses as he looked ahead, focusing as the two trainers and their Pokemon prepared to begin. A moment later, the referee looked to each and then waved his arm forward. "Let the battle begin!"

"Decidueye, Spirit Shackle!"

"Decidueyyye!"

It was lightning quick, and Clemont could barely register it as the ghost and grass type leaped into the air, Bisharp and his trainer quickly falling into the trap of looking up at him. They were blinded by the sun immediately, Decidueye forming the ghostly bow and arrow as they shielded their eyes. A moment later, the ghostly arrow shot down, striking Bisharp in the foot and seemingly pinning him in place.

"Sharrrp!" Bisharp cried out in surprise, looking down at the shadows around his foot and struggling to move out of them.

"Quick, Bisharp get out of there with Night Slash!" Sara ordered, sounding desperate, clearly unfamiliar with Spirit Shackle. Clemont didn't know much either, but it certainly seemed as though Ash had quickly grabbed control of the battle.

"Leaf Blade!" Ash then ordered, Decidueye forming the green blade as Bisharp slashed at the shadows, getting no results.

Decidueye was on his opponent in an instant. Bisharp did have the quick sense to attempt to block with a glowing purple blade, but it was no use. Decidueye struck it aside easily, before spinning midair and and slashing again. "Saiii!" he cried out, the blade striking Bisharp hard in the chest.

"Sharrrp!" Bisharp shouted as he was sent flying into the river with a big splash, the Spirit Shackle no longer pinning his foot to the ground.

"We'll have to try to end this quick, Bisharp!" Sara then called, raising her voice over the crowd's cheers. Bisharp was stumbling out of the water now, and without Spirit Shackle holding him, he was at least free to move, even if already looking tired. "Swords Dance, and then Night Slash back to back!"

"Swords Dance?!" Trevor sounded nervous, and Clemont could understand why.

"That will cause significant damage if it hits..." Flint muttered, appearing tense as he watched Bisharp focus on Decidueye, blade-like arms glowing red as he swung them around.

"Bisharp will need to have perfect precision to hit Decidueye like that," Agatha pointed out. "Something Ash won't allow."

Clemont realized immediately that she had a point. As Bisharp broke into a run, fast enough to catch most Pokemon, Decidueye was already moving, leaping high into the air and appearing to grow larger as his feathers seemed to fluff out. A moment later, Clemont saw a white aura surround him briefly, as Ash called an order.

"Feather Dance!"

"Decidueyyye!" the Arrow Quill Pokemon shouted, appearing to sweep his cape-like wings over himself as feathers darted forward towards Bisharp, blocking his path immediately as a white glow covered his body.

"He's losing attack power!" Clemont said, pumping his fist in excitement. Not that it would help too much after Swords Dance with Night Slash still being super effective, but at least most attacks would do less damage if they hit.

"I don't think that was what Ash was using it for," Trevor then said, sounding confused.

Clemont's eyes widened, realizing Trevor was right. As the feathers fell around Bisharp, he looked around in surprise. Robby sounded just as shocked, although equally as excited as he commented on what was happening. "Amazing! It appears Decidueye used Feather Dance so that he could disappear before Bisharp could land his powered up Night Slash! But where has he gone?!"

"Ominous Wind!" Ash then yelled, a purple, shadowy wind suddenly shooting up from the river, water spraying over Bisharp, along with the ghostly wind. It knocked the Sword Blade Pokemon into the air, its cries drowned out by the shocked murmurs of the crowd. "Finish with Leaf Blade!"

"Saiii!"

"Bisharp, look out!"

Sara's cry could do nothing for her Pokemon, though, as Decidueye emerged from the ghostly wind as though he was emerging from a shadow. He struck Bisharp with his glowing green blade, sending him staggering off to the side, before falling still. As Decidueye turned away, his blade disappeared as he covered it with his wings.

"Bisharp is unable to battle! Decidueye is the winner!"

"Another overwhelming win by Ash of Lumiose University!" Robby cried out, the crowd roaring in approval. "I don't know if anyone can stop him! Only Anton of Laverre University has managed to win his matches in such a way so far. What a finals match it could be if Lumiose finishes this one off!"

At that, Ash recalled Decidueye, while Trevor grinned, looking to Clemont. "Looks like it's up to you, Clemont! Go out there and get us in the finals!"

"I'll do my best!" Clemont promised, nodding to Agatha and Flint as he headed out to the platform. "Great job, Ash!" he said, as he stopped by Ash on the way. "You and Decidueye were totally in sync!"

"Yeah!" Ash said, grinning as he looked to Pikachu. "We seem to be getting into top form for these battles. We're more psyched than ever to win. Think you and Elekid are ready for Calem?"

Clemont nodded confidently. "After your battle, we'll be more psyched than ever!" It was true. Ash's battles always had an inspiring effect like that.

With that, Ash headed back to the balcony, while Clemont headed to the trainer's platform, seeing Calem already on his own at the opposite end. He took a deep breath, knowing this match was far from over. Calem would be Kiloude's best battler by far, and he was looking quite determined. _But Elekid can handle it!_ Clemont told himself.

"Well folks, it's down to Kiloude University's captain, Calem, to get through this battle now!" Robby then announced to the crowd, the referee taking his position. "Will he be able to get through Clemont, who has yet to battle, before taking on both Trevor and Ash to finish the comeback? If anyone on Kiloude's team can do it, the bet would be Calem! Now, trainers, please call out your Pokemon!"

Calem already had his pokeball out, and as Robby's call ended, he was throwing it forward. "Malamar, let's go!"

As the dark and psychic type emerged, its tentacles swirling around it, Clemont suppressed a shiver. It was a fairly creepy Pokemon. Fortunately, Clemont's Pokemon had the guts to take it on. "Elekid, come on out!"

"Bee bee!" the Electric Pokemon shouted out, emerging and sparking in anticipation immediately, the crowd apparently amused by his enthusiasm. "Bee bee bee!"

"It looks like Elekid is fired up for this battle!" Robby called out excitedly. "Malamar looks confident, though! Let's see who emerges victorious between these two fierce looking Pokemon!"

With that, the referee waved his arm, the two Pokemon tensing as he made his call. "Let the battle begin!"

"Elekid, get in there with Thunder Punch!" Clemont ordered, taking a page out of Ash's book as he attempted to start the match in close using speed.

Calem had other plans, though. "Psycho Cut!" he countered quickly, grinning as his Malamar smirked, watching Elekid run forward with his fist crackling with electricity.

"Bee bee!"

"Malaaa!"

The two attacks collided with a mighty crash, shaking the field and blowing wind across the grass and river. The crowd loved it, sensing a much closer matchup than Decidueye and Bisharp had had. This was instantly looking like a battle between two strong and evenly matched Pokemon.

As Elekid and Malamar slid back from one another, Robby's excited voice carried through the stadium. "A mighty clash to open this battle! Clemont and Calem appear to have a couple of very well trained Pokemon ready for battle. Let's see if Elekid can keep up the intensity, which won't be easy against a fully evolved opponent.

Clemont was perfectly happy if they were considered the underdogs. They might just be able to use that. Of course, Calem likely wouldn't underestimate them. Malamar did seem to be sneering at the Electric Pokemon, though, which had Elekid looking more fired up than ever.

"Bee bee!"

"Thunderbolt!"

"Psybeam!"

The attacks clashed with a loud explosion, shooting up grass and dirt everywhere before smoke billowed out between the Pokemon. Clemont knew this was their opening. Elekid just needed to use his speed. "Go Elekid, use Thunder Punch!"

"Bee bee!" Clemont grinned as Elekid cried out in determination, darting into the smoke as he pulled his fist back, electricity surrounding it. He was just barely visible as he made his way towards Malamar, who hesitated just long enough to give Elekid his chance. "Bee!"

"Malaaa!"

"Wow! A huge hit for Elekid as he uses the smoke to cover himself for a powerful Thunder Punch!" Robby shouted, the crowd murmuring excitedly as Malamar was sent crashing to the ground.

"Not bad, but Malamar can take it!" Calem called out, although he look surprised. "Get one back with Psybeam!"

"Keep using Thunder Punch and charge in there!" Clemont ordered, wanting to keep the pressure up in close. If Malamar could use those psychic attacks at a distance, it would be tough to keep up.

Elekid cried out in determination as Malamar straightened up, setting its sights on him. The electric type's fist was once more surrounded in electricity as he charged forward, Malamar raising his tentacles menacingly in response, a shining light forming in front of it.

"Bee bee!" Elekid seemed to pick up speed as he charged forward, more determined than ever as the Psybeam rushed towards him. He raised up his electroc fist and the attacks clashed with explosive force, electricity and psychic energy shooting off to the sides and ripping up grass. The crowd cheered as they sensed the battle growing more intense and it only got louder as Elekid continued to push through. "Bee!"

With no more room, Elekid broke off the contact of the attacks, deflecting Psybeam underneath him and exploding the ground there. The energy expelled sent him higher into the air as Malamar tried to avoid him, and he thrust his fist forward right into the dark and psychic type's face, sending it up higher into the air, before it dropped to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Let's keep up the pressure!" Clemont then yelled, grinning as he heard his friends cheering the move. "Thunderbolt!"

"Bee bee!"

Calem could only grit his teeth in frustration, Malamar unable to rise in time to do anything about the incoming attack. Elekid's body was engulfed in electricity as he charged the Thunderbolt, and then he quickly unleashed it. It exploded against Malamar immediately, sending it flying into the river, causing a huge splash.

"Malaaa!" Malamar was determined, though, emerging from the river as fast as it went in, locking its eyes on a surprised Elekid, while Calem grinned and called an order.

"Psybeam, and then use Peck!"

"Mala malamarrr!" the Overturning Pokemon shouted, unleashing the psychic energy immediately, striking Elekid head on and sending him sliding along the field, before charging forward, beak aimed straight ahead. Elekid was just starting to rise up, before being sent flying once more, the force of the larger Pokemon appearing to overwhelm him in that moment.

Clemont wasn't going to give in, though, knowing he and Elekid could get right back in the fight. "Swift, now!"

"Bee bee!" Elekid cried out, still down, but raising his arms up immediately as Malamar floated up, ready to charge again.

"Marrr!" it then shouted in surprise, the golden stars striking it head on and forcing it to stumble back as they exploded against it.

"Defend with Psycho Cut!" Calem then ordered, narrowing his eyes as he watched Elekid. "Keep Elekid on the move!"

Clemont smirked, seeing that Calem wanted to try using Malamar's forceful attacks to keep Elekid on the defensive now that he was down. They wouldn't allow that. As Malamar struck out quickly with glowing pink tentacles, his Psycho Cut deflecting Swift, Clemont called his next order. "Stay low, Elekid, and get in there with Thunder Punch!"

"Bee bee!" Elekid cried out, ending Swift as he quickly stood up and broke into a run. Malamar responded with picking up speed as well, raising up a tentacle to strike Elekid as they met. "Bee!"

Just like earlier, the attacks met with explosive force, shaking the field as Thunder Punch met Psycho Cut. However, this time each Pokemon held on with all the willpower they could muster, straining to get their attacks through. The crowd shouted out in surprise, Robby sounding stunned by the display of determination each was showing. Clemont knew how he could turn the fight in his favour, though.

"Now Elekid, use Low Kick!" Clemont ordered, watching as Malamar shifted his body away slightly, as though protecting from Thunder Punch getting through to a weak point. _If we can get Malamar open for a full power electric attack..._

"Float up to dodge!" Calem countered quickly, just as Elekid's leg tensed up, his electricity-covered fist sliding away from Psycho Cut. Malamar staggered a bit from the end of the exchange, but he managed to float up just in time to avoid the kick to his lower body. Clemont had the follow up ready, though.

"Slide forward and then use Thunderbolt!" he shouted, Elekid using the momentum of his missed kick to give him the speed he needed. He slid under Malamar perfectly, the Overturning Pokemon turning in surprise as Elekid passed underneath it.

"Bee bee!" Elekid then shouted out, electricity shooting up at Malamar instantly. It had no counter, the electricity taking hold of it and bringing it to the ground, its tentacles curling up from the pain. It seemed completely trapped by the direct strike, and Clemont knew they could quickly overwhelm it.

"Now, Thunder Punch!"

"Bee!" the Electric Pokemon darted forward, grinning in triumph as he pulled his fist back, sending it forward into Malamar's face as he leaped up in front of it. "Bee bee!"

"Malaaa!" Malamar cried out, the Thunder Punch sending it high into the air once more, its body crashing back down with a loud thud.

"Malamar!" Calem called out in worry. "Try to use Psybeam, and then Peck!"

Clemont knew he had Calem where he wanted him now, though, and he and Elekid weren't going to lose their chance. "Swift, and then Thunder Punch!" he ordered, hearing the murmurs of the crowd as the pace picked up.

"Malaaa!"

"Bee bee!"

The shining beam of energy shot out from Malamar, while Elekid sent the golden stars out in response. The attacks exploded against one another, smoke shooting up immediately between the two Pokemon, but neither side wasted any time in rushing forward. Malamar had his beak trained on Elekid, who was pulling his fist back, electricity engulfing it immediately. Then, they struck each other, the smoke dissipating quickly as wind shot out from the colliding attacks. Unfortunately for Malamar, Elekid's electricity seemed to shake him, making him stumble just enough for Clemont's next order.

"Low Kick!"

"Bee bee!" Elekid responded, ducking down and lashing out with a kick right away, Malamar's eyes bulging as he was struck.

Calem called out worriedly, but there was nothing he could do. Clemont punched the air as he made the final order. "Now Elekid! Thunderbolt!"

"Bee bee beeeeee!"

The electricity burst forward, striking Malamar from up close, the stunned Pokemon dropping down and sagging after a brief jerk of its body. It seemed to try to rise up once, but its energy had faded quickly. There was no more it could do as Elekid stepped back, looking expectantly at the referee, who floated over quickly.

"Malamar is unable to battle! Clemont and Elekid are the winners!" he shouted, pointing to their side of the battlefield. "Lumiose University wins the match!"

"Can you believe it?!" Robby then shouted, the crowd breaking into a loud cheer, Ash and Trevor shouting just as loud from where they stood. "Clemont and Elekid come out in style and finish the match with a shocking battle! Lumiose University has clinched a spot in the IPL Championships, and they'll meet Laverre University, their chief rivals from the regular season!"

Clemont sighed in relief as he headed out to congratulate Elekid, pausing briefly to congratulate Calem on a good battle. It certainly felt good to have earned the win, and to have the team do so in a fairly convincing matter. One thing was for sure, though. The finals would be tougher than anything they'd faced so far.

 _Tough or not, though,_ Clemont thought, looking back to where Ash and Trevor were waiting for him, _it's time to settle the score with Laverre University._

 **Author's Note:**

And so, in both the performances and battles, it'll be coming full circle. The team that's had LU's number since day 1 will be their Championships opponent! First up will be the double battle contest matchup, though. Who's gonna face off against Gabby? I do wonder... As for hunter business...well...that's remaining mysterious. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next chapter, titled "The Power of Dreaming".


	26. The Power of Dreamimg

**Author's Note:**

We're finally here with the championships for the IPL performers! Long wait, but there was a lot to get to with this. Hopefully it delivers.

 **Chapter 26: The Power of Dreaming**

Raphael sneered at the radio a group of his subordinates were listening to. It was useful information, with progress of the IPL tournament being described in detail, but it still made his blood boil, thinking of those kids nearly ruining his plans. Their little tournament was nothing to him but a stepping stone to great wealth and power. He planned to take that step soon.

He couldn't help but be a little concerned, though. The base...how had they discovered the base? He was sure Valerie had never had any opportunity to find out about it. The kids had been clueless as well, until Gabrielle. There was only one who could've directly linked him, but she appeared to still be acting in his interests, so it still didn't make much sense.

"Sir?"

Raphael stared into the trees a moment, ignoring the woman in front of him. They'd hidden their trucks full of Pokemon in the forests. They had scouts to warn of anyone coming their way, but it was a less than ideal situation they'd been forced into. Could one of those escaped Pokemon have done something? It was impossible. It wasn't like Pokemon could speak. But that Meowth...it's eyes...

"Sir...I-"

"Yes...yes, I heard. What do you want, Alice?" He was short with her, but not angry. His anger was focused on those students. And whoever had revealed information about his base.

Alice gulped nervously as he looked at her. He was pleased by that. He never needed to bully his subordinates, but they feared him nonetheless. He supposed incidents like the group involved with the truck attack added to that, though. What he and his Medicham were capable of was a clear motivator.

"Sir, we had a report from the school tournament. From our source..." She hesitated, looking uncertain. Raphael knew why. Their source was questionable, but in a position to do a job Alice needed help with.

"And what is the report? More bad news?" He hated being unable to hide his frustration. They needed to attack soon, or not at all. Otherwise they'd be found and unable to keep their stockpile of stolen Pokemon and altered Mega Evolution stones.

Alice shook her head. "Our source has told us that the girl from Laverre...your...your..."

Raphael narrowed his eyes, looking at the hunter before him. "My student. Gabrielle, or Gabby as she likes to be called. What of her?"

"She'll be in the finals for the performing tournament tomorrow," Alice said, appearing somewhat disappointed as Raphael showed he had expected it. "There's more, though."

Raphael raised an eyebrow in interest. "More?'

"She will be battling the Lumiose student with the...the Absol." Alice flinched as Raphael took a deep breath in response to that. "The expectation is Gabrielle will be using Altaria in the battle against...Absol."

"Yes, I expect that would be the case," Raphael murmured, almost laughing at the idea. When he got his hands back on that Absol it might very well be worth something, despite the ruined product it seemed to have become. "Interesting, but not much that we can use. I suppose they'll be tired out for when we attack, however." It would've been preferable to time the attack for after the battling tournament had finished, but they were too vulnerable even now.

"Actually, sir..." Alice coughed, looking nervously off to where some of the other hunters were glancing at them curiously. "Our source...believes it could be an opportunity. Once Altaria is in the Pokemon Centre, our source may be able to switch the Mega Stone."

"That...would be useful." Raphael wasn't sure if it could work, though. Their attack needed to be precise. If their person on the inside failed, it would be an immediate problem. He wanted as many enemies capable of Mega Evolving out of their way as possible, but they could still be defeated if necessary. Gabrielle, Anton, the Shalour Gym Leader and the kid with the Greninja were all threats, but eventually they could be subdued. If any of their Pokemon could be turned, however...

"Shall I confirm with our source, sir? Or shall we continue with operations as originally planned?" Raphael wasn't sure what Alice wanted. She would need to be sent into the city to give their source the altered Altarianite, but her role in forcing Gabrielle's Pokemon to turn on her would be diminished. If she was loyal, though, she would choose the wisest path. Raphael knew Alice was loyal.

"Decide on the appropriate response yourself," he muttered, glancing at his Key Stone. None of it really mattered. The children couldn't match his strength. Those Pokemon would be taken either way. That Greninja in particular would be a valuable prize. If they could mimic that transformation...

Alice nodded, bowing slightly, appearing a little surprised to be given the decision. She decided immediately. "Very well, sir. I will inform the source to go ahead with the mission before our attack."

Raphael nodded as well, a small smile coming to his face. It was the right decision, he decided. "Excellent. On with it then. Our time draws near."

* * *

Ash joined the rest of his team in a loud cheer as Professor Sycamore was giving a speech in honour of their IPL successes thus far. His voice carried loud and clear in Clemont's Gym inside Prism Tower, where the team had gathered for a small party to celebrate earning their place in the finals for both the Performance and Battle conferences of the IPL. Agatha, Flint and Fantina had all given little toasts to their success as well, but Professor Sycamore seemed the most pleased, making sure to state how well they've represented the school in its first year.

"You've all done a tremendous job," Sycamore said, appearing close to finishing. "I'd obviously hoped for success when all of this began, especially when I learned of some of the talented students we'd be getting, but I never would have dreamed of Lumiose University being in the position it is now. Whether you win or not, you're the champions of this school and this city."

"Chespin ches!" Chespin shouted out in response, eyes filled with tears as he stuffed a pokepuff that Serena had made in his mouth. Ash wasn't sure if Clemont's grass type was moved by the speech, or sad it was the last pokepuff.

"Thanks Professor Sycamore," Dawn then said, looking a little misty-eyed herself over the speech, "but we definitely came to a great place to learn and become better trainers. It really was a team effort getting this far, and that includes the teachers and the other students!"

Clemont nodded, looking a little distracted as he fiddled with a piece of one of his inventions, but clearly listening. "I agree. Lumiose University has helped me a lot. We've been able to put a lot of what we've learned in classes to use in our IPL matches."

Sycamore chuckled a bit at that, exchanging a grin with the coaches. "Well, it's interesting that you mention that, Clemont." He pulled some papers out of his coat and held them up. "As you'll remember, I stated that your IPL playoff performances would represent your final exams for this semester's courses. Given how well you've all done..."

"We aced our exams?!" Tierno asked excitedly, doing a little dance in the middle of the battlefield with his Chimchar.

"I think it's safe to say that yes, you absolutely aced your exams! Whatever comes next can be considered bonus marks!" Sycamore laughed out, handing out the papers that seemed to be reports on how they'd done. They all seemed fairly similar among the Battle Team members and Performance Team members.

When Professor Sycamore had finished, everyone went back to enjoying the party, which seemed to mostly consist of eating food and joining Bonnie and the Pokemon for various games. Ash wasn't too interested in joining in at the moment, though, his mind already on the matches ahead of them. He was too excited to think of much else. His hand went to his coat pocket as he imagined the coming battles, feeling what he held there and smiling as he thought of what needed to happen.

He paused as he looked around, noticing Clemont and Korrina talking over by one of Clemont's inventions that appeared like some kind of new Clembot, but with...roller blades and long hair. Ash shrugged as he turned away, assuming it was just a design for making Clembot move faster around the gym. The original Clembot was busy cleaning up the mess caused by Bonnie's Pokemon games, which seemed to be knocking things down all over the place, Pikachu and Braixen trying to limit the mess but unable to control some of the others. Most of the others were joining in on the games, or simply watching in delight as they talked amongst themselves. One person was missing, however.

Ash headed out the doors of the battlefield, the others too busy with their game to notice. As he made his way down the hallway, he noticed what appeared to be a few more of Clemont's Pokemon models he'd set up around the performance theatre and battle stadium. There were even a few Clembot designs around. They seemed a bit strange, though, the models and robots plugged into each other with screens next to them appearing to be loading something. Ash had no idea what that could be about, but shrugged, deciding it was just another example of science being so amazing and that Clemont could explain later.

As soon as Ash stepped outside into the courtyard outfront of Prism Tower, he noticed Serena standing out front, looking lost in thought as she gazed out at the city. It was night time, but the city lights were bright throughout, including Prism Tower above them, appearing like a great beacon. There were even some stars glittering above, along with a full moon. Ash could understand why Serena had come out, with it being surprisingly calm and quiet, a perfect night to think.

He didn't want to bother her, seeing her standing there in the combined light of Prism Tower and the moon, looking quite calm and peaceful. However, she turned a moment later, seeing Ash and smiling. "Aren't you enjoying the party, Ash?" she asked, eyes reflecting the moon.

"I..." He coughed, a little surprised at how suddenly dry his throat felt. "I was looking for you. I noticed you were missing." He walked over, standing next to her as they looked out at the city together.

"I just wanted to think a bit," Serena said after a moment. "It's such a big day tomorrow. I never thought I'd be in a battle this big."

Ash nodded, smiling as he glanced back at her. He felt warm, despite it being a somewhat cooler evening. "I guess I'm used to battles so I didn't think of that. I'm sure you'll be great, though. You easily could've won that match against Coumarine way back, and you did a great job in Professor Sycamore's tournament. Not to mention how awesome you were in Kiloude City with...well, with everything."

Serena looked away, almost appearing to hide her face for some reason. "Yeah, I guess we've done okay with battles so far." She sighed a moment later, though, looking back at Ash. "I wish Absol and I could've mastered Mega Evolution for this match. I'm sure Gabby will use it with Altaria."

"You guys have made progress, haven't you?" Ash asked, shuffling a little awkwardly, his pocket feeling weighed down now. "You were really close the last time I saw you try it."

"I...think so." Serena sounded hesitant, as though she wasn't sure of what was or wasn't right with what she and Absol had done so far. "It feels close sometimes, and then it just doesn't work." She showed Ash her wrist, a red burn mark on it where the Key Stone had heated up so many times. "Maybe I'm not ready for that kind of power."

"Of course you are!" Ash told her, finding himself gently reaching out to her wrist, lightly touching the burn mark. "Doesn't this hurt?" he asked in concern.

Serena blinked in surprise, looking awkwardly at his hand, before he pulled it back, embarrassed. "It does when it happens. It seems to heal pretty quickly, though, other than it being a little red." She looked at Ash curiously, before continuing. "Do you really think we can make it work? Mega Evolution? It seems like only the very best trainers can do it, and I...I don't know."

"Serena, you're one of the best trainers I've ever met. You don't have to be the strongest to be the best, but you're still pretty strong." He grinned, looking back out to the city. "You and Absol and Braixen are going to make so many people happy tomorrow, just by doing your best out there. As a team...a _family_. Your other Pokemon, too, even if they aren't battling. You all do such an amazing job of showing what your dream means to you. That's what makes you awesome, and that's why you'll win and make Mega Evolution work!"

He hadn't expected to say all that, but he knew he meant every word of it, and as Ash looked back to Serena, he could see her looking back with her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thanks, Ash. I needed that." She shifted her feet awkwardly, as though considering something, and then spoke again. "I...I've been wanting to tell you something. Something important."

Ash frowned curiously. "What is it?" She seemed nervous, but she also seemed to be smiling, so Ash wasn't sure if it was something good or bad. "Are you...okay?" he asked, noticing her step forward awkwardly.

"Y-Yeah." She shook her head. "I just..." She took a deep breath, appearing to gather her courage for...something. "I just wanted to say-"

"Hey there you guys are!"

The two of them jumped, turning around to see Bonnie at the doors of the tower, her Dedenne on her head and Pikachu at her feet. She and Dedenne seemed quite excited, while Pikachu looked to be feeling guilty as he looked at Ash and Serena for some reason. Bonnie didn't seem to notice that, though, gesturing for Ash and Serena to come back inside. "Come on, guys! We're having cake now! And then we're going to play a new game with all the Pokemon!"

She was back inside as quick as she had arrived outside, Pikachu only remaining behind a moment, before following her. Ash looked to Serena, chuckling as he looked to where Bonnie had come out. "Sounds like fun!"

"Yeah," Serena said, sighing as she hunched her shoulders. "I guess we should head inside."

"Didn't you want to tell me something?" Ash asked, blinking in confusion as Serena walked ahead a few steps.

"Oh..." she hesitated, glancing back. "I...I can tell you later. It's not a big deal."

Ash frowned, watching as Serena took another few steps forward, only pausing when she realized he wasn't walking. She looked back, her eyes questioning. He reached to his pocket, stepping forward. "Well, before we head inside, I wanted to give you something."

* * *

Serena felt a surprising calm as she stepped out of the dressing room, finding her soon to be opponent waiting outside for her. She felt no pressure for the coming match. She wasn't sure if it was her brief talk with Ash the night before, or just excitement about having the chance to take on her rival and friend on the big stage finally in front of her. Whatever it was, it was a relief, and she smiled as she showed off her new performing dress.

"Oh my gosh! It looks great!" Gabby shouted excitedly, jumping up as she cheered, already in her own outfit, which perfectly matched her Altaria. "How does Valerie do it?! It's perfect!"

Serena glanced down, looking at the outfit. At first glance, it seemed like a simple white dress, with some black around the neckline and red and yellow at the skirts for a strange contrast. On a closer look, however, as she walked, it was like she drifted across the floor along flames, and the white fur-like substance on the dress appearing like a Pokemon flying among them. Like an Absol and a Braixen.

Serena had added her own touch as well, and she raised her hand to her head to feel what was tied in her hair. Gabby noticed right away, but not everything. "That's such a pretty ribbon! Where did you get it?"

"Um...Ash gave it to me. For...good luck." Gabby smirked at that, noticing Serena's face going bright red.

"Well it certainly fits the outfit!" Gabby noted, nodding approvingly. "You'll need to make sure to thank Ash after our battle!" she added with a wink.

"Gabby!" Serena's cheeks heated up as the door to the Lumiose waiting room opened, Fantina and the team entering.

"Wow, Serena!" Shauna exclaimed immediately as she saw her. "You look great!"

"Yeah you-" Tierno flinched as Shauna gave him a warning look, the strange shining of his eyes going away quickly. "Uh...yeah, you and your Pokemon will match well."

"Valerie's amazing, isn't she?!" Dawn added, looking just as stunned. "You both have the best outfits here!"

"Well if we're battling in the finals, we need to look our best," Gabby said, smiling at Serena. "I guess I'll leave you with your team. I hope it's the best battle ever. I'll see you out there!"

Serena nodded, giving Gabby a challenging smile. "May the best Performer win!"

With that, Gabby stepped out of the room, on her way to where her own team was likely waiting for her. Serena and the others watched as the door closed, waiting a moment before Fantina spoke up. She seemed a mix of excited, nervous and proud as she looked around at the team.

"So, it all comes down to zis!" she said, eyes resting on Serena after glancing at each member of the team. "We started off against Laverre University, and it didn't go well. Now, it is finally time to defeat zem! And it won't be Serena alone out zer. We are all together!"

"That's right!" Serena told the others. "I can't win without your support. And I'm fighting using everything we've learned and accomplished together!"

Dawn's eyes went to the ribbon in Serena's hair, noticing what Gabby had missed and smiling. "I remember the feeling of that first matchup with Laverre. It's going to feel great to make up for that by beating them in the finals!"

"We overcame Shalour and Coumarine, and now all the other schools here that made it to the playoffs," Tierno pointed out, tapping his feet excitedly, "and now it's time to overcome these guys once and for all!"

"Show them what a Kalos Queen is like!" Shauna added with a cheer, the others joining in.

They gathered for a group hug after that, before Fantina stepped back, looking to the TV screen where Monsieur Pierre was getting the crowd ready for the match, Aria alongside him. Serena noticed for the first time the noise coming from the crowd. It was invigorating knowing how excited they were.

"Well, we have been given seats in ze front row to cheer for Serena," Fantina said, looking to the rest of the team. "We'd better give her a moment to prepare with her Pokemon."

The others nodded, beginning to follow Fantina out of the room as they each wished Serena good luck one more time. Dawn was the last to leave, pausing as she stood at the door. "You can win this, Serena," she said, her eyes serious. "There's no need to worry."

Serena smiled gratefully. With the way Dawn said it, it felt different. She knew what it took to win a contest battle, and how tough it could be in a situation like this. She was their captain for a reason. If she believed Serena could win this, she definitely could. "Thanks, Dawn. I'll do my best out there."

When she was left alone in the room, she watched the TV a moment, seeing Monsieur Pierre discussing the previous rounds and including extra details on Serena and Gabby. It certainly seemed to be getting the crowd more and more excited. Pierre seemed to be thrilled himself that the two competing battlers were actually more known for their performing. With the intensity of it being a championship match, and two experienced performers, the expectation seemed to be that it would have all the qualities of a good battle and all the flashiness required in a contest or performance.

Realizing that she didn't have too much time, Serena pulled out her pokeballs, calling out all five of her Pokemon. She wanted them all to be a part of this, even if only Absol and Braixen would be battling. She smiled as they all emerged, looking to her in determination as they sensed the big moment ahead.

"Well guys...it's the big match against Gabby. Are you ready to finally beat her?" she asked, looking to each of them, before finally focusing on Absol and Braixen.

"Sol!"

"Braixen brai!"

"Absol," Serena said, locking eyes with the Disaster Pokemon. "You've come so far...I'm really excited that you're able to join us on the stage for this battle. You deserve it. You've really become part of our team. Our...family."

 _Show them the power of your dream._

Surprisingly, it wasn't Absol who responded to that first, Pancham looking to be choked up a little, rubbing his eyes. Sylveon wrapped a feeler around him to comfort him, before he stepped forward, raising a fist confidently as he looked to Absol. "Pan pancham cham!"

Absol looked surprised at that, before Sylveon stepped forward as well, raising her feeler and brushing it along his neck fur. "Syl sylveon!"

"Pop popplio!" Popplio added, blowing a bubble and popping it as she nodded her agreement.

"Brai braixen brai!" Braixen finished off, placing a paw on Absol's back and smiling.

The dark type stared around at the other Pokemon in surprise, looking awed by their support. He seemed to acknowledge each, and Serena smiled as he murmured a response to them all, before his eyes rested on her. He seemed to be tearing up a little, too, just like Pancham. "Sol...absol." He stepped forward, nuzzling Serena briefly, the Mega Stone shining from the bow tie on his horn.

"We'll win this together. All of us," Serena promised him. "We'll give everyone out there a show they'll never forget, and we'll have a blast doing it. Does that sound like a good idea?"

"Sol!" Absol said happily, stepping back and nodding, the others joining in.

Serena stood, smiling at her Pokemon. "Then let's do this! Let's win the Championship!"

As if on cue, Pierre's voice seemed to call out from the TV, and Serena and the Pokemon turned to watch as the screen focused on him. "And now," he said, the crowd going quiet as the spotlight shone on him and Klefki floated next to him, "ze time has finally arrived! It is time for ze IPL Performance Conference Championship match between Lumiose University and Laverre University!" He paused, and Serena noticed an assistant stepping into the room and gesturing for her to head to the stage. Serena and her Pokemon headed out, listening as Pierre continued. "Please welcome our talented competitors! From Lumiose University, we have ze lovely Masterclass Peformer, Serena!"

"YAHHH!"

The cheer was nothing like she was expecting, and Serena and her Pokemon paused briefly as they stepped out onto the stage, smiling as they took it in. She could see the rest of the Performance Team in the front row, and as she heard Ash, she noticed him and the others a few rows back with Professor Sycamore and the group from Alola, including Lusamine. She might've been nervous about that days before, but it was only an extra inspiration now. She took her place, waving to the crowd as Absol and Braixen stepped out in front of her, while the other three stayed behind her.

"And on ze other side," Pierre then continued, "please welcome from Laverre University, ze talented Gabrielle!"

The cheers were just as loud for Gabby as they were for Serena, and she was glad about that, wanting the Lumiose crowd to appreciate Gabby's talents whether she was from Laverre or not. Of course, with her Ninetales and Altaria out in front of her, it wasn't a surprise Gabby was popular. People clearly remembered her stunning performance from the first round. She'd immediately set herself up as a favourite back then.

Once Gabby was in her position, grinning across at Serena, Pierre continued once more. "As you all know, ze road to zis championship match has been long. Lumiose University and Laverre University have shared much of it together, however. Ze very first match of ze season put zem against one another, and here zey stand, facing of in ze finals!" He paused, the crowd murmuring excitedly at his words. "In ze two matches against each other, Laverre University fared better overall, but ze playoffs are what matters now, and what matters now in ze playoffs is zis final battle. Ze IPL Performance Conference Championship battle!"

The crowd cheered loudly again, and Serena looked back out to where Ash and the others were sitting, the raven-haired trainer looking back at her. She felt her cheeks heating up a bit, but she smiled nonetheless. She'd almost told him the night before. And then he'd given her the ribbon and...

She shook her head, looking back to Gabby. _I'll show them, Ash. I'll show them how strong my dream is. And then...I'll show you something, too._

"In zis final battle," Monsieur Pierre then said, bringing attention back to him as the scoreboard lit up, showing Serena on one side, and Gabby on the other, with their scores full and the timer set at ten minutes rather than the usual five, "each side will use two Pokemon in a double battle. As usual, our judges," the spotlight shone briefly on Aria, Palermo and Wallace, "will take away points for Pokemon being dealt damage, or for ze opponent performing impressive combination in ze battle. Instead of ze usual five minutes, zis battle will have ten minutes on ze clock. Ze battle may still end if one trainer loses both Pokemon or zer score runs out, however!"

At that, he paused, and the entire theatre seemed to go silent. Serena knew why, too, sensing the quickly approaching battle as well. She locked eyes with her two Pokemon, each smiling back confidently, before looking challengingly ahead. Gabby and her Pokemon looked just as ready, and she too had her other Pokemon behind her, watching. Her Cubone from her first round performance looked ecstatic as Altaria smiled back at it. It would be tough to beat the determination the dragon type clearly had.

"Trainers!" Pierre called out, Serena and Gabby looking quickly to him as he stepped back and out of their way. "Are you ready for zis final battle to begin?!"

"You bet!" Gabby called out confidently, giving Serena a thumbs up.

"We're ready!" Serena said, smiling and nodding in response to her friend and rival.

"Zen let ze battle begin!"

 _DING!_

If Serena had learned anything about battles from Ash, it was starting quick and starting with confidence. She and her Pokemon were more than ready for that, and at the ring of the bell, her arm was thrust forward as she made her first order. The crowd cheered excitedly as she did, many seeming surprised it was her to start things off.

"Braixen, Hidden Power right in the centre! Absol, Psycho Cut to follow it up!" It felt good calling the first attacks, but Serena knew Gabby would be ready with a counter.

The silvery orb of Hidden Power rushed forward first, with the pink, crescent-shaped Psycho Cut speeding behind it. As expected, though, Gabby was ready with her response. "Ninetales, Double Team! Altaria, forward with Dragon Rush!"

"Niiine!"

"Altariaaa!"

Nintales multipled immediately, copies spreading across Gabby's side of the stage. Meanwhile, Altaria enveloped herself in a shining glow, the head of a fercious dragon appearing before her. She launched forward, aiming straight at the incoming attacks from Braixen and Absol. Unfortunately for Gabby, it was just what Serena had wanted.

The crowd gasped as Altaria nearly reached the orb of Hidden Power, before Psycho Cut reached it, slicing it in two and passing ahead into Altaria's path. Serena smiled, her plan working perfectly as Hidden Power's split pieces struck the ground behind Altaria on either side, the resulting explosions hitting Ninetales' copies and revealing the real one as all disappeared but the one staggering. Meanwhile Altaria slowed as she was hit by Psycho Cut, her Dragon Rush slowing as Absol moved forward, ready to engage.

"Giga Impact!" Serena ordered, pointing ahead and calling out the attack with all the energy she could muster.

"Sol!" Absol roared in response, his body surrounded in a white light as he burst forward, sights set on Altaria. They reached one another in an instant, Absol's full powered attack driving into Altaria's slowed up Dragon Rush. The shock wave shook the stage, but as both Pokemon were blown back, Altaria got the worst of it, her body hitting the ground and sliding towards Gabby's side, while Absol skidded back, remaining on his feet but panting, now unable to move after using the powerful move.

"C'est magnifique!" Pierre called out, the crowd roaring in appreciation. "Serena opens ze match with a brilliant combination to split Braixen's Hidden Power to strike a hidden Ninetales, while Psycho Cut slowed down Altaria for Absol's Giga Impact to hit with full power! Zat has given Serena ze early lead!"

Serena could see that was true, glancing briefly at the scoreboard as she took a deep breath. Her score was still full, Gabby unable to do anything flashy enough with the attacks she'd ordered and no damage done to Absol or Braixen. Meanwhile, Gabby's points had already dropped about ten percent, with Double Team having been vanquished and Giga Impact having overpowered Dragon Rush. The other Performer wasn't going to let Serena keep control, though, narrowing her eyes at Absol as Serena looked back in her direction.

"Ninetales, use Flame Charge on Braixen!" she ordered, eyes briefly flashing to the two fire types. "And Altaria, hit Absol with a Moonblast!"

"Nine!" the Fox Pokemon cried out loudly, her body becoming engulfed in flames as she charged forward, picking up speed as she ran. As she moved, so did Altaria, recovering from Absol's Giga Impact while he continued to breathe heavily after using it. Serena could see the pink orb forming and rising into the air, ready to send the attack at him and she knew she needed to find a way to defend both Pokemon.

"Braixen, in front of Absol and use Fire Blast!" she shouted, her loyal partner Pokemon nodding in response, flipping to the side and positioning herself in front of Absol, Ninetales effortlessly changing course to engage.

"Braixen braiii!" Braixen then called out, pointing her wand forward as Ninetales charged in. The five-pronged blast of fire clashed with the fire-engulfed Pokemon in front, flames erupting across the stage. Braixen winced as she was sent stumbling back into Absol, who seemed to be recovering, just as the pink beam from Altaria's Moonblast shot down. It seemed to be shaken a little off course by the blast of flames, but it struck at the ground in front of Absol and Braixen, knocking them off their feet, stumbling back in front of Serena.

The crowd went wild with enthusiasm for the clashing attacks, Pierre quickly commenting as well as Absol and Braixen quickly got to their feet, while Ninetales darted back to join Altaria. "A stunning clash of attacks!" Pierre stated, waving his staff in front of his face as smoke from the colliding fire attacks drifted over to him. "It appears as though Gabby's Moonblast gave her a little bit of an edge in zat exchange, however!"

Serena glanced at the scoreboard again, seeing that she had now lost some points. Fortunately, it wasn't much, and Gabby did seem to have lost a few as well with Ninetales' attack having been blocked and Braixen's defending Fire Blast having been impressive. There was still a long battle ahead of them, though, with barely any time off the clock after the first couple of exchanges.

"It's a good battle so far, Serena!" Gabby then called out, bringing Serena's attention to her. She was smiling, looking like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Serena realized she was as well, along with her Pokemon. With the crowd cheering, the intensity of the battle and the beauty of the moves...it was everything she could've hoped for. "Let's turn it up to the next level! Altaria, Draco Meteor! Ninetales, Flame Charge when you're ready!"

Serena was ready for that, smiling as she called her counter. "Braixen, use Scratch on Ninetales! And Absol, get ready to dodge Draco Meteor with Detect!"

"Brai!"

"Sol!"

And with that, the next stage of the battle was on, Altaria aiming and firing a glowing orange orb high into the air, while Ninetales narrowed her eyes, her body glowing as she prepared to engulf herself in flames. Meanwhile, Absol tensed, preparing to dodge the incoming meteors from Altaria's attack, while Braixen wasted no time in rushing forward, paws raised to strike as she pushed her wand into her tail.

As the orb exploded above the stage, the meteors beginning to rain down on the Pokemon below, Braixen reached Ninetales, who was now engulfed in flames. Gabby and her Pokemon seemed a little frustrated by Braixen's elegant movements, though, the Fox Pokemon flipping past a meteor before moving to swipe at Ninetales, who was forced to engage, rather than darting above to move higher on the meteors as she appeared to want to do.

Absol, meanwhile, was having success as well, grinning as he ducked and slid past the exploding meteors raining down on him. His eyes flashed with each move, and Serena could hear the crowd murmuring excitedly at his movements. Sylveon's excited cry from behind her told Serena that her fairy type thought it was a beautiful dance, and a shout from Tierno seemed to confirm that.

"Zis battle is really heating up now!" Pierre called out as the pace picked up, Braixen and Ninetales clashing among the crashing meteors, while Absol darted throughout the stage. "Neither trainer is backing down, and zer Pokemon are moving powerfully and elegantly!"

"Altaria, hit Absol with Dragon Rush!" Gabby then ordered, Altaria quickly preparing the powerful dragon type move, while Braixen was struck by Ninetales, staggering back. "Ninetales, Double Team to distract Braixen!"

Serena wasn't going to allow Gabby to keep up the pressure, though, ready to have Absol and Braixen go on the offensive as well. "Absol, use Icy Wind to hold off Altaria, and Braixen, jump and use Fire Blast on the ground!"

The crowd murmured in surprise at Serena's order, but she could see Gabby looking a little more cautious as she watched stage in front of her. She couldn't stop her Pokemon now, though, and Altaria began her rush towards Absol, while Ninetales began multiplying. Absol was ready to engage, Altaria right away, fur rising along his body as a wind blew all around him. Then, suddenly, a gust of icy energy shot up, just as Altaria was nearing him. The Humming Pokemon cried out as she seemed to strike a wall of icy energy. She pushed through, though, striking Absol with everything she had. Both staggered away from one another after the collision, but Serena could see Altaria was a little more uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Braixen was firing off the five-pronged blast of fire at the ground as she was surrounded by Ninetales, hitting the ground and causing flames to shoot up in a circle around her. Gabby called for a Flamethrower to defend Ninetales, and the Fox Pokemon revealed herself immediately as she fired out her own attack to deflect Braixen's. With Ninetales, revealed, though, Serena took the chance to order a Hidden Power, the silvery orb knocking the opposing Fox Pokemon off her feet as Braixen flipped back to join Absol, and Altaria flew back to catch the flailing Ninetales.

As the Pokemon seemed to take the chance for a breather, Serena glanced once more at the scoreboard, seeing she still held the lead with only about a fifth of her points gone. Gabby had lost over thirty percent of hers, but still seemed to be perfectly confident. It wasn't enough of a lead to be sure of victory, and both trainers knew it. Gabby was ready to turn the tables.

"Ninetales, get on Altaria's back and use Flame Dragon Rush!" Gabby then ordered, using one of her most effective performing combinations.

Serena was sure the attack was as powerful as it was beautiful, and she knew she needed a counter that could work just as well. _Show them your full power,_ a voice seemed to say in her head. She ignored it for the moment, though. _It's not the right moment._ She wasn't sure if that was the wrong thing to do just, now, but she ordered her counter nonetheless."Braixen, on Absol's back and use Flamethrower! Absol, Giga Impact!"

"BraiiiXEN!"

"AbSOL!"

Absol's legs seemed to twitch as Braixen landed on his back, but he pushed through it, narrowing his eyes as he took off, white light surrounding him and Braixen while she aimed her wand forward, flames beginning to shoot out of it. Meanwhile, Ninetales darted onto Altaria's back, both of them becoming engulfed in a shining dragon's head, with fire emerging from its opened jaws. The move seemed to be improved from its performing use, and while still stunningly beautiful, much more intimidating for battle.

Braixen's flames did little to slow the opposing Pokemon, and while Absol rushed forward with all the force he could muster, his legs seemed unable to contend against the double attack, with Braixen on his back. The four Pokemon crashed together at centre stage, flames bursting out around them in a ring, and wind buffeting the first few rows of the audience. A moment later, Absol and Braixen were sent flying back, Braixen falling off of Absol, while the Disaster Pokemon landed hard on his side a few feet away from Serena.

"Oh dear!" Pierre shouted as cheers and gasps were heard from the crowd. "It looks as though Absol and Braixen took ze worst of zat mighty collision. Gabby will score a lot with ze stunning display and ze impressive strength it demonstrated."

Serena winced as she saw that it was true, seeing her points having dropped to well below two-thirds of her counter. Gabby's remained untouched from before the collision, her combination and power having overwhelmed Serena. _Maybe now's the time to..._ Serena frowned, looking briefly out to Ash. He was smiling back encouragingly, but giving no sign of what he thought she should do.

Her hesitation seemed to give Gabby the opportunity she needed to keep up the assault, unfortunately. "Ninetales, hit Braixen with Extrasensory! Altaria, use Moonblast on Absol!"

Serena could see Absol was in worse shape than Braixen, so she needed to count on the fire type to hold back the worst of the assault. "Braixen, use Flamethrower with everything you've got!"

"Braiii!" the Fox Pokemon cried out in response, sliding a bit to the side, positioning herself between Absol and their opponents as best as she could. She raised her wand up high as Ninetales unleashed the psychic attack, while Altaria formed the pink orb of Moonblast.

"Niiine!" the Flamethrower met Extrasensory with explosive force, the stage shaking as the attacks clashed at the centre of the stage. Each Pokemon did their best to hold of the other and force their attack through, but neither seemed able to win out. Then, as the attacks faded, Serena realized just what the purpose of Extrasensory was. She looked to Absol worriedly, seeing him struggling to his feet. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do.

 _BOOM!_

The Moonblast struck Absol as Braixen dropped to a knee, tired out from the clash with Ninetales. However, the explosion knocked her down as well, sending her sliding off to the side and wincing. Serena called out in concern to the two Pokemon, ignoring the concerned cries from the crowd, and Monsieur Pierre's comments on the impressive distraction by Gabby. She allowed only one glance to the scoreboard, seeing her points dropping to just under half.

Apparently Gabby wasn't done yet, though. In fact, she seemed even more fired up, and as Serena looked across to her, she only smiled and held a hand up to the bow in her hair, while Altaria hovered in front of her, a light shining from her as the crowd and Monsieur Pierre murmured in excitement. "Sorry Serena, but I've gotta go all out for this, and that means bringing out Altaria's ultimate strength!" Gabby called out, the lights from the Mega Evolution stones shining brighter and brighter by the second. "So Altaria, let's join our hearts together! Mega Evolve!"

"Altariaaa!"

The crowd went silent as the lights of Mega Evolution expanded even more, becoming too bright for anyone to watch. Serena shielded her eyes, wincing as she felt the raw power of the transformation. She only moved her hand from her eyes as she heard the crowd murmuring in excitement. And, when she saw Altaria, radiating power as she hovered in front of Gabby, looking like a dragon among the clouds, she knew the task ahead of her had become even more difficult.

"Now, Ninetales, Flamethrower!" Gabby then ordered, grinning as she and Altaria locked eyes, embracing the boost in power. "And Altaria, ride the flames with a Dragon Rush!"

Serena's eyes widened as Gabby made the order, and she realized quickly she had little time to respond, Altaria's speed looking to be much greater, and Ninetales already boosted by Flame Charge. She looked to Absol and Braixen, seeing them struggling, but determination in their eyes as they prepared to face the attack. "Braixen, respond with Fire Blast! Absol, follow up with Icy Wind!"

"Brai!"

"Sooolll!"

The force of Fire Blast seemed to be just what they needed, and despite Altaria having the incredible power boost, the Flamethrower she was using to pick up speed was hit hard by the five-pronged blast of flames. Smoke burst out as the attacks struck, and Altaria slowed down, her Dragon Rush glowing within it. A moment later, Absol's Icy Wind burst forward, some of the ice seeming to melt as it reached the heat of the collided fire attacks. As Altaria emerged, her attack was slowed once more as steam billowed into the air, followed by the remnants of the Icy Wind striking her.

That was when her power was truly revealed, however. Her stumble cost a few points to Gabby, but she righted herself quickly, crying out with her newly acquired strength and picked up speed once more. Braixen and Absol could do nothing as they watched the shining dragon rush ahead. It hit Briaxen first, sending her into Absol, before continuing the strike into the two of them, sending them flying back.

"A stunning display of beauty and strength by Gabby and Altaria!" Monsieur Pierre announced excitedly. "Atlaria may be too much to handle with ze power of Mega Evolution having cost Serena another precious few points!"

Serena winced, seeing her points again having fallen, Gabby's having barely taken a hit. She needed something to turn the tables quickly, otherwise the battle would be over before too long. But was she truly ready for her secret weapon? Could she really use it in the way to show her true strength? Absol's true strength?

 _It's your dream, and your Pokemon's dream. You're a family. Show how strong you are together. Show the strength your dream has. Use the power of dreaming to give the world a show they'll never forget and never give up, just like a Kalos Queen!_

Serena's eyes found Ash's, and he nodded. His gift was priceless, and she would always be grateful, but he had given it to her for one reason. She glanced back to Pancham, Sylveon and Popplio, seeing their eyes shining with the determination she felt building inside of her. As she looked ahead, Braixen returned the look, the bond they had shared since day one filling her with more strength. Then, her eyes met Absol's and she knew they were both ready as he turned his gaze ahead to look at Gabby, Altaria and Ninetales, while Serena's hand went to the ribbon in her hair and what was tied within it. When Gabby saw it, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Absol!" Serena called out, a bright light shining from his horn, the bow tie hiding nothing as the Absolite pulsed with its power. Serena could feel the heat from the Key Stone tied in the ribbon, but this time, she felt at peace, knowing what it was that would connect her and Absol. Now, the power from the stone was like a warm embrace on a cold day. "Use our true power! Use the power of dreaming! Mega Evolve!"

If the crowd was making any noise, Serena had no idea. She was so focused on the sight in front of her, and on the belief in Absol and her entire team, and everything they fought for. She wasn't sure if it was because it was their own stones drawing out the power, but the light didn't seem uncomfortable as it had with Gabby's. In fact, it seemed just right. Serena could only smile as she watched Absol straighten up, growing slightly, his fur blowing around hm. Then, suddenly, as the light was dimming, the fur seemed to flow out at both his sides, finally spreading into two, long, elegant wings. As he took a deep breath, looking up to lock eyes with his opponents, so did Serena, seeing Gabby and her Pokemon looking totally shocked.

"A stunning surprise!" Monsieur Pierre called out, the crowd roaring in excitement. "Serena has Mega Evolved her Absol! It is now a battle of two Mega Evolved Pokemon, with their fierce, fiery partners!"

"Absol," Serena called out, feeling more confident as she almost felt the power radiating from him, "let's show of our dream together! Giga Impact, with Psycho Cut! And Braixen, follow it up with Hidden Power!"

"Sol!"

"Braixen brai!"

Gabby seemed to have recovered from her surprise, but she didn't seem to have a counter ready for Absol. Serena supposed the Laverre Performer wanted to see what Absol's new strength brought. She didn't think that a wise move, though. From what she could sense, Absol's strength was at a level she'd never seen from him before.

The Disaster Pokemon spread and flapped his new wings, propelling himself into the air as his horn began to glow. He didn't unleash the crescent-shaped attack like he usually did, however, instead aiming his horn down and flapping his wings once more as a white light surrounded him. The crowd gasped as he shot forward, the speed and strength of the move emanating from him as he moved. The shining pink light of Psycho Cut added a pink streak behind him as well, making him almost seem like a shooting star.

Altaria had no chance, struck hard by the attack and collapsing into Ninetales and sending both rolling over. With the attack hitting, Absol managed to turn just as the energy of Giga Impact seemed to fade from him, and he glided back, unable to do much more than release the last bit of energy of his Psycho Cut, the attack spinning in midair in front of the opposing Pokemon.

Braixen acted on that, though, firing off her silver orb, the attack clashing with Psycho Cut and exploding into a shower of silver and pink sparks that rained on Altaria and Ninetales. The two Pokemon attempted to rise, but were forced back down by the sparks hitting them with mini explosions. The move seemed to impress the judges as well, knocking some more points off of Gabby's score, along with Absol's mighty attack.

Now it was the stretch run, and Serena, Gabby, their Pokemon, the audience and Monsieur Pierre could all sense it. With Absol needing a moment to rest after Giga Impact, though, it was Gabby's chance to make a move, ignoring Pierre's cries of excitement over Absol's powerful new form. "Altaria, now you ride on Ninetales, and Ninetales, use Flame Charge!"

"Altariaaa!"

"Nine!"

It was a strange reversal after mostly seeing Ninetales ride on Altaria for combination attacks, but Serena responded quickly to get Braixen in position to block the attack as Absol hovered behind the Fox Pokemon. "Braixen, aim carefully and use Fire Blast! Then hit them with Scratch!"

"Brai!"

The crowd grew quiet as they watched Gabby's Pokemon begin their attack, sensing how quickly the match could turn in its final few stages. Serena was calm and prepared, though, as were her Pokemon. She believed in Braixen and Absol and knew they could pull this out. She clenched her fist as Ninetales rushed forward, flames all around her as she burst ahead with the most speed she'd had all battle, her previous charges having already increased her speed.

Altaria wasn't joining the straight charge to Braixen, though, instead using the speed to fly up as Gabby ordered a Dragon Rush right at Absol. The move surprised Serena, but Absol nodded to her briefly, encouraging her that he could take it, while Braixen fired off the Fire Blast at the incoming Ninetales.

The two collisions shook the stage, Absol being sent spinning back by Altaria, while fire shot out around the two Fox Pokemon at centre stage. A moment later, though attention was locked onto the two fire types as they rushed forward to engage, Ninetales still engulfed in flames while Braixen lashed out with her paws. There was little performing or contest elegance in the exchange as the two battered at one another, before each staggered back, glaring at the other while their flying allies descended to join them.

It was now or never by the looks of it, with both of them down to roughly a quarter of their points. Monsieur Pierre pointed that fact out, and the crowd murmured excitedly, before Ash called out from where he and her friends were sitting. "Don't give up, Serena! You can do this! I believe in you. We all do!"

Serena smiled, his assertion giving her that little extra boost she needed. She knew it was true. He and her friends out there in the crowd, and also her Pokemon with her on stage. They would win together. They wouldn't give up until this was over, and it wasn't over yet. Not at all.

"Absol, Icy Wind!"

"Altaria, Moonblast!"

The tension increased throughout the theatre, and Serena was surprisingly invigorated by it, and from the look on Gabby's face, she was as well. Monsieur Pierre called out excitedly as the icy wind began to blow around Absol, while the pink orb formed from Altaria. The power of the moves could be felt even before being fully unleashed. Serena knew what would happen next, though, and she needed that Icy Wind to be even stronger if it was going to work.

Finally, the attacks were fully unleashed. The air grew cold as the Icy Wind burst forward, enveloping the stage in gusts of icy wind, while in the air, a massive pink orb lit the stage in a pink light, pulsing before exploding forward. The wind and the light seemed to clash, pink crystals seeming to rain down on the field as ice shot down, seemingly coloured by the Moonblast. As the attacks clashed, both Serena and Gabby lost a few points, each of their attacks impressing, but both knew they needed more to emerge victorious, and they called their next attacks. Their final attacks.

"Flame Dragon Rush!"

"Giga Fire Blast!"

Altaria and Ninetales moved first, Ninetales specifically with her increased speed from using Flame Charge. The Fox Pokemon engulfed herself in flames, letting them build around her while Altaria flew high above the stage, the shining dragon head forming around her. Then, Ninetales began to run, Altaria descending and timing her catch as Ninetales leaped up, their attacks combining into a rainbow-like flame, more stunning than ever before, pulsing with power.

Meanwhile, Braixen nimbly hopped onto Absol's back, the Disaster Pokemon spreading and flapping his new wings as he flew into the air. White light surrounded him, while Braixen stood atop his back, aiming her wand, the fire beginning to spurt out of it as she pointed straight at the incoming Altaria and Ninetales. Then, Absol seemed to run in place in midair, before flapping his wings hard and taking off with all the speed and strength he could muster. How Braixen stayed on his back and kept her balance and aim, Serena didn't know, but she did it perfectly, while unleashing the five-pronged blast of flames, the attack seeming to stay in front of Absol, partially joining with his charge. It was almost like a shooting star of fire.

Serena, Gabby and everyone else in the theatre seemed to hold their breath as the Pokemon neared each other, their charges almost looking to be slowing down, despite the fact they were probably actually speeding up. As they neared, the theatre seemed to heat up from the flames, despite the Icy Wind attack from just before. The air seemed to hiss with the steam forming all around them, and Serena was forced to step back, the heat becoming too much. Then, the Pokemon collided, a ring of fire shooting out around them, while sparks rained down on the stage below as Absol and Altaria strained against one another and Braixen and Ninetales tried to keep up the heat.

Serena silently willed Absol on, but she could see he was at a disadvantage, his attack aimed upwards, while Altaria's momentum had brought her speeding downwards. That extra speed seemed to be giving her the edge, the Disaster Pokemon being slowly driven down towards the stage. For some reason, Serena sensed a nervousness from him, and she was almost sure she felt a reaction in the Key Stone. She kept her faith in him, though, even as she saw his back legs touch down on the stage and knew where his uneasiness came from.

"Absol," she called out, wincing as the energy from the Pokemon seemed to push against her, "I know you can do this. You're stronger than ever. You've recovered. We did that together. All of us! I believe in you, and so does everyone else! Remember our dream!"

"Sylveon!"

"Pancham!"

"Popplio!"

"Brai!"

Serena smiled, seeing Absol starting to push back, his legs digging in. Then, a moment later, it was Altaria slipping a little, pushed back inch by inch. She could see the points for her and Gabby having dropped a little more with this exchange, each nearly at their limit. Now was the chance to finish things. Now was the time to win this battle.

"Absol! Braixen! Let's win this!"

"BRAIII!"

"SOLLL!"

As Absol flapped his wings with his roar, Braixen's wand seemed to explode with a final Flamethrower. The flames were apparently too much for Ninetales, the opposing Fox Pokemon crying out in surprise, stumbling in her struggle and leaving Altaria open with less strength to use against Absol, who had formed one final Icy Wind to surge against her.

"Altariaaa!"

The Humming Pokemon could do nothing. Her ally overpowered and the icy energy beginning to blow against her, the shining dragon head around her seemed to falter. Then, with one last flap of his wings, Absol and Braixen pushed through, his horn driving into Altaria's chest and sending her and Ninetales crashing to the ground. A moment later, Altaria's body glowed as her form reverted to normal.

 _BZZZ!_

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Monsieur Pierre cried out, the crowd going silent as Absol and Braixen dropped to the stage as well, sagging in exhaustion as Absol's form reverted to normal, too. "It is over! After a fierce and stunning battle, Serena, Absol and Braixen have defeated Gabby, Altaria and Ninetales! Ze winner of zis incredible IPL Performance Conference Championship Battle is Serena, of Lumiose University! And ze Champions of ze IPL Performance Conference are ze Lumiose University Luxrays!"

"YYYAAAHHH!"

Serena felt almost numb as she heard the crowd, staring at the scene in front of her. They'd...won? Absol...had Mega Evolved? For a bizarre moment, she thought she was going to wake up, as this was surely a dream. But it wasn't. It was real. Absol and Braixen, exhausted as they were, their shining eyes confirmed it. She rushed towards them, hearing her other Pokemon doing so as well, and a moment later, they were huddled together in a group hug.

"I'm so proud of you guys!" she told them, hugging them tightly, feeling Braixen clutching her shoulder, while Absol nuzzled her face. "You were all so amazing! Every step of the way. I couldn't have asked for better Pokemon!"

"Sol!"

"Braixen brai!"

"Cham!"

"Pop!"

"Syl!"

Serena laughed, hearing their cries of joy. They were all so happy. This was the moment they'd been looking forward to since the day they'd first heard of Lumiose University and the IPL. After such a long road, they were finally here.

"Serena!"

She turned, smiling as she saw the rest of the Performance Team rushing onto the stage to join her. Dawn was at the front, grinning as she led the group into joining the group hug. "I knew there was no need to worry!" she yelled out over the loud crowd. "You were amazing!"

"Never lost a step!" Tierno agreed.

"Just like a Kalos Queen!" Shauna finished.

"I have to agree there!"

They all stopped, looking up in surprise as they saw Gabby looking back at them, looking tired and slightly disappointed, but still smiling. Her Pokemon were behind her, Ninetales and Altaria slumped over, but nodding respectfully to Absol and Braixen, while her Cubone did his best to hold Altaria up. Serena stood.

"Thank you for an amazing battle, Gabby. I'll never forget it." She held out her hand, but Gabby ignored it, bringing her in for a hug.

"Thank _you_ , Serena," she whispered, barely audible over the crowd. "I finally understand what a Kalos Queen truly is." She stepped back, smiling to the rest of the team. "Thanks for a great season, guys. You're an awesome team."

She started to turn back, her team waiting behind her, but Serena called out to her one more time. "What do you think a Kalos Queen truly is, Gabby?"

She didn't turn back, but stopped, thinking for a moment, before she could be heard laughing. "A Kalos Queen is someone who can make you the happiest person in the world...even if you've just lost the biggest match of your life that you wanted to win more than anything. She's someone who can make anyone dream of a better tomorrow."

* * *

Marie had been extremely busy over the course of the IPL Playoffs, but she'd enjoyed every minute of it. She'd had exam work, her last few classes, her Pokemon Centre duties and obviously she'd needed to watch every match Lumiose participated in. It left her nearly walking in her sleep by the time the epic final battle with Serena and Gabby had finished. Of course, her Pokemon Centre duties still remained for that evening. Fortunately, Nurse Joy had let her at least spend some time with her friends while she checked on some of the Pokemon. Only Serena's and Gabby's would need to stay the night.

"I still can't believe how awesome that battle was!" Ash exclaimed as the group continued their discussion of the contest battle. "I expected it to be awesome, but it was _super_ awesome!"

"I was just really nervous," Clemont admitted, glancing at Korrina uncertainly as she laughed, nodding in agreement. "It was too close for comfort."

"That's the way it is for the best battles," Trevor pointed out, although Marie had remembered him being quite nervous as well.

"Well it was really great having all of you supporting me," Serena said, smiling as she looked around at the group. "I never would've done it without you all. And don't forget, it was all a team effort!"

Ash nodded in agreement, he and the others making sure to congratulate everyone on the Performance Team. "Now it's our turn, right guys?" he said to Clemont and Trevor. "One Championship down, and one to go! Lumiose University can win them both!"

"We'll need to be ready for the match if we're going to win," Trevor pointed out, looking outside, making note of the sky getting darker. "We should probably head back and get some rest."

"Yeah, I want to be ready to cheer you guys on," Tierno said, nodding in agreement as he got up.

As Trevor and Tierno headed out, Clemont looked awkardly at Korrina, who was holding Anton's Vivillon in her arms, the bug type being the only one a little down about Serena's win, as it had likely been cheering for Gabby. "I've got one more thing to check up on at the gym. Do you want to come?"

"Of course, silly!" Korrina said, getting up immediately. She looked a little concerned as Vivillon yawned. "Do you think Vivillon should stay here overnight?" she asked Marie.

Marie smiled, amused by the concern. It was pretty clear that Vivillon was healthy enough by now, but from the look in its eyes, it seemed to think Clemont and Korrina would be happier alone. "Sure. I'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Marie!" Korrina said, handing the supposedly tired Vivillon to her. "Goodnight, Vivillon. I'll see you tomorrow. We'll watch the battle together, okay?"

"Vivillon!" it cried out in agreement, nodding, before Korrina and Clemont left.

"I think I'll head back, too," Serena said, looking pretty tired herself. "That battle wiped me out." She exchanged a glance with Shauna, who seemed amused as she looked to Ash, ignoring Serena's sudden blush.

"Ash, can you walk Serena back? I'll stay here a bit," the Performer said, giggling a little, which seemed to confused Ash, although he nodded, grinning.

"Sure, sounds good!" He stood up, holding his hand out to Serena and helping her up. He was oblivious to the amused looks Shauna, Dawn and Marie were exchanging. Pikachu simply seemed exasperated by his trainer's lack of comprehension.

When Ash and a blushing Serena had finally headed out, Marie turned to the back room, nodding to Vivillon as the others looked to her. "I'd better go find Vivillon a place to sleep."

"Okay, we'll head out onto the training field," Dawn suggested, Shauna nodding in agreement. "I've got a couple combinations I want to try after watching that battle!"

As they headed out, Marie made her way to the back, noticing the front door opening, but leaving it for the moment. She passed the rooms where Gabby's and Serena's Pokemon were resting, each in their own. When she saw Absol, she was glad to see he was perfectly at ease, no bad memories haunting him as he slept in the Pokemon Centre once again.

Passed their rooms, Marie found a smaller one where a few other Pokemon were napping that were nursing only minor injuries. She found an empty bed and placed Vivillon there, asking it if it wanted food. It appeared it actually was fairly tired, and it opted to just go to bed, and she left it with the others, exiting the room as she heard the bell signalling that someone needed help at the front. She headed out quickly, seeing that Nurse Joy was still busy working with a couple other Pokemon.

As she entered the lobby again, Marie was surprised to see Casey from the Laverre Performance Team at the front desk, holding her Meditite in her arms. "Casey? What happened?"

The Laverre Coordinator stared back at her with wide eyes. "I was just training with Meditite after Gabby's battle, and we were attacked! I don't know if it was the hunters or just some bullies, but it looks like they really hurt him!"

Marie frowned, looking at Meditite. It didn't seem too hurt, but she supposed Casey was likely shaken up. "Don't worry, we can check on it. Do you want to call Officer Jenny?"

"Officer Jenny?" Casey looked surprised by the question, before answering quickly. "Oh, no it's okay. I reported it. Can I accompany Meditite? I'm worried about him."

It wasn't the usual protocol, but since Wigglytuff was working with Nurse Joy at the moment, Marie allowed it. She gestured for Casey to follow her, holding the door open. "Just back here, we can find a room to check up on Meditite. If it's anything serious, Nurse Joy can deal with it."

"Oh, it's serious..." Casey murmured.

Marie glanced back at her, frowning in confusion, before continuing to the rooms. She paused as she was passing Altaria's and Ninetales', looking back to see Casey eyeing them. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly, "they're in good hands. They'll be fine for Gabby to pick up in the morning."

"Oh...I certainly hope so..." Casey stared at the Pokemon, her hand going to her pocket as Meditite dropped to the ground next to her, landing on his feet, eyes glowing blue.

Marie's heart began to race, sensing something very wrong. "Um...Casey?"

"Now, Meditite!" the girl hissed, Meditite's eyes locking on Marie's instantly.

She saw his blue eyes shining brighter. Then, the world went black.

 **Author's Note:**

And so...everything is happening! Serena and Absol finally pulled off Mega Evolution, a moment i wanted since first thinking of this story. Hopefully it was everything I dreamed of...ha...ha.

But then...not too much time to celebrate. Casey has attacked Marie! Is it because...well I guess we'll see. Hope you enjoyed and see you next time.


	27. The Attack

**Author's Note:**

Hello all. Apologies for the lengthy break (longest we've had in awhile). Just had one of those ruts. This is obviously a tricky part of the story, with it being so crucial, so I need my pieces in order. Hopefully this opens things up well enough. I guess we'll see.

 **Chapter 27: The Attack**

As Ash and Serena headed towards the residence buildings, he noticed Serena slowing her pace, clearly tired after her earlier battle. He could see her looking lost in thought, guessing that she was playing through the battle in her head. He couldn't blame her, smiling as he looked back ahead, the memory of Absol's Mega Evolution and incredible finishing move with Braixen coming to his mind. Serena never failed to impress.

"I still can't believe today," Serena suddenly said, glancing at Ash as he slowed his pace to match hers. "I've never been in a battle like that. I can see why you enjoy it so much." She laughed as she fiddled with the ribbon he'd given her, now tied at the collar, the Key Stone within it.

"It gets better every time, too!" Ash told her, grinning. "Especially when you see an awesome battle and get to have your own right after it. I'm all fired up after yours!"

Serena laughed, while Pikachu voiced his agreement from Ash's shoulder. "Well, I'm glad it's you battling next. I'm pretty wiped out after that match."

"Hopefully you can recover soon, and then _we_ can have a battle!" Ash told her excitedly. "I bet Absol and Decidueye could have an awesome rematch!"

"You and Decidueye might want to be careful," Serena warned jokingly. "Absol will be able to use the air as well, now!"

They shared another laugh at that, and as they continued walking, Ash thought back to that battle the two of them had fought back in Professor Sycamore's tournament. Absol may have fallen to Decidueye, or Rowlet as he was then, but he and Serena had shown themselves to be the true victors of that tournament in the end. Professor Sycamore had wanted the students to demonstrate how they could build a bond with their Pokemon, and with what Absol had been through, and how Serena had reached him, their progress together was unmatched. In his mind, the ribbon he had given her the night before was a gift to remind her to never give up, but the Key Stone was something she and Absol had earned, and it was rightfully theirs.

"Ash, do you remember last night...there was something I was going to ask you?" Ash glanced at her, seeing Serena's eyes looking oddly determined, despite her somewhat shaky voice. "Or...tell you, anyway."

Ash nodded, smiling. "Yeah, but Bonnie wanted us to go in and join the party!" He glanced at Pikachu, chuckling, but stopped as he noticed his partner Pokemon looking a little embarrassed.

"Pika..." Pikachu then said, smirking a little as he scurried down from Ash's shoulder, tapping a pokeball on his way down, releasing Rockruff to join him as he darted ahead. Rockruff looked a little surprised, but Ash nodded encouragingly at him and he ran off to join Pikachu up ahead.

When Ash returned his attention to Serena, she was staring up ahead at the two Pokemon in surprise. "Pikachu's so sweet..." she murmured, looking both embarrassed about whatever it was that electric mouse was up to, and pleased. She looked back to Ash, smiling shyly. "I...I'm not really sure how to say this."

She paused, and Ash grinned, hoping to encourage her. "Is there something worrying you?" he asked gently.

"Well...no. Not this thing anyway." Serena sighed, taking a deep breath. "What do you remember about Professor Oak's summer camp? From when we met?"

Ash thought for a moment, smiling as the memory came to him. It seemed to have become so much clearer since that day it had all come back to him when they'd found Absol after he'd taken off near Shalour City. "I remember chasing that Poliwag, and finding you down on the ground. I wanted to help you right away once I saw that you were hurt."

Serena smiled at that, and Ash thought he noticed her shuffling a little closer to him. He supposed it was a little chilly out, now that it was getting darker. "You haven't changed since then. At least, not when it comes to being so caring. I remember being so scared and frustrated at that camp. You encouraged me to never give up and I ended up really enjoying it. And now, here at school, you encourage all of us to never give up, and we've come so far."

"That's not just me," Ash said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. Serena was much closer now. Now _he_ was feeling nervous for whatever reason. "Everyone had a fighting spirit! Actually, I think we were all really inspired by you and Absol."

"I guess we all inspire each other," Serena said, smiling at the thought.

"Just as a team should."

"A family."

Ash nodded, pausing as he watched Pikachu and Rockruff up ahead. They looked to be having fun, but he was sure he noticed Pikachu glancing back at him and Serena a few times. Ash supposed it was to make sure they were okay considering it was getting dark. He couldn't help glancing behind him at that thought, the image of hunters coming to his mind. Fortunately, nothing was there.

"So...about what I wanted to say," Serena then murmured, glancing over at Ash. He turned his head, feeling his heart beating faster as he looked back at her. "I...really do admire you, Ash. The way you never give up, the way you care for your Pokemon and the way you help others..."

"You do that, too," Ash said slowly. They'd stopped walking now, and he hadn't even realized it till that moment. "I admire you, too!"

Serena's face went red at that, and she took a deep breath. "Well, it's more than that, Ash." She paused, looking in the direction of Prism Tower, its lights on now, bright in the darkening sky. "I-"

"Hey, get away from me!"

Ash's head shot up at that, seeing Pikachu and Rockruff already tensed and looking around. Immediately, the two darted over to him and Serena, Pikachu's cheeks sparking while Rockruff started growling. Serena was reacting just as quickly, her hand already pulling out a pokeball, which flashed open a moment later, Pancham emerging in front of her.

"That was Gabby!" she said quickly, eyes darting around. They'd both been too distracted by their conversation to properly identify where the yell had come from. A moment later, though, they heard another shout.

"Marowak, Bonemerang!"

"Anton," Ash said, eyes locking on to a street corner up ahead. "They must be that way. Let's go!"

Serena nodded, following after him as he darted ahead, Pikachu and Rockruff a few feet in front, ready to engage whatever was attacking the Laverre students. They reached the corner just as they heard another shout, followed by a small explosion and the sound of something hitting the ground. As Ash and Serena rounded the corner and looked ahead down the next street, they saw the two Laverre students, and across from them, were five figures in dark clothes, trying to look as intimidating as possible. Ash could see that two of the attackers' Pokemon were down, though, with Anton's Marowak standing over one, while Gabby's Cubone was backing off from the other.

"Anton!"

"Gabby!"

The Laverre students and their attackers both looked up in surprise, seeing their Lumiose rivals rushing towards them. The hunters, at least Ash was pretty sure they were hunters, glared at them as they approached, but Gabby smiled in relief, while Anton even nodded in thanks, seeing Pikachu, Rockruff and Pancham step in alongside his and Gabby's Pokemon. Ash and Serena positioned themselves across the hunters as well, and Ash was glad to see them looking uneasy now that the numbers were more even.

"Back off, kids," one of the hunters growled, eyes locking on Ash and Serena. "You ain't getting out of here with your Pokemon, so you might as well hand 'em over. We got people all over the city by now. You got no chance. Make it easy on yourselves."

"Said the same nonsense to us," Anton muttered, shaking his head in exasperation as he looked to Ash. "As smart as Raphael might be, he's got some real idiots in his crew."

"I don't think he needs these ones to be smart," Gabby murmured nervously, glancing at the Pokemon moving out in front of the hunters. They had a Machamp, a Dodrio and a Golem, while Anton and Gabby had already knocked out a Gabite and a Mightyena.

Another hunter laughed at that, taking a step forward as the Machamp flexed its muscles. "We don't need to be smart, but we cornered you kids. And now we're gonna grab those Pokemon of yours. That Professor's lab and the Pokemon Centre will already be taken, and the university buildings will be cleared out soon enough as well. We'll see who's calling who an idiot then."

Ash had had enough at this point, and it seemed Anton had as well. Immediately, both stepped forward, ordering attacks. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Rockruff, Rock Throw!"

"Marowak, Bone Rush!"

The three Pokemon were moving in an instant, and the hunters were too stunned to respond. As Pikachu's Thunderbolt struck Machamp at the centre of the group, Rockruff aimed his stones at Dodrio, while Anton's Marowak descended on Golem with a vicious assault from his bone. Within a couple of seconds, the three Pokemon were staggering back, falling in front of the hunters a moment later. As the hunters starred ahead in shock, Pikachu's cheeks sparked in a warning.

"Maybe we should get backup..." one hunter muttered.

"Gotta be some hunters heading to the lab nearby that can help out here," another said.

Serena and Gabby didn't give them time to form a plan, though, their orders coming before the next hunter could speak. "Dark Pulse, Pancham!" Serena shouted.

"Bonemerang, Cubone!" Gabby added.

Ash could see the hunters' eyes widen as Pancham's attack rocketed towards them, the black and purple energy striking the ground at their feet. It sent them flying into the air, and it was just in time for Cubone's Bonemerang to swing around and clunk each in the head, before spinning back to him. When they fell back to the ground, they didn't get back up.

Ash and the others were silent a moment, waiting just in case the hunters moved, but also listening for signs of others nearby. The Pokemon moved back to them, readying themselves for more attackers, but it didn't appear they would be coming right away. For a moment, Ash almost wondered if this was just a stray group, and their words about more attackers being around were just lies to make them worried, but then he heard it. First, the sirens, and then the shouts and the sound of fighting.

"Raphael..." Anton muttered, adjusting the sunglasses on his face, despite the darkness.

"He was bound to come at some point," Gabby said, glancing in the direction of the nearest shout, which was followed by an explosion.

"That was in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab," Serena said, she and Pancham moving to Ash's side as he turned around to look as well. In the distance, smoke could be seen rising over the buildings.

"They'll be after all the Pokemon in his lab," Ash said, tensing nervously, and preparing to run. He was glad to see Anton and Gabby moving forward, apparently ready to join them.

"They'll want Sycamore's Mega Evolution research as well," Anton pointed out. "Raphael always had a lot of questions about my Scizor. Whatever else he's planning, he'll want that."

Ash nodded, narrowing his eyes as he looked to Pikachu and Rockruff. "Then let's go and stop him!"

* * *

As Clemont and Korrina made their way towards Prism Tower, he couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. He had thought he'd heard a noise at the last street corner they'd turned on, but Korrina didn't seem to have heard anything. He supposed he might've just been nervous with there being no recent signs of the hunters, but he did his best to walk faster, as hard as that was for him.

"Worried about something?" Korrina asked after a moment, her own pace quickening as Clemont's did. Not that that was much.

Clemont glanced behind them, glad to see the streetlights going on as it got much darker. "Just...a feeling. I'll feel better when we get to the gym."

Korrina glanced back as well, frowning as she thought a moment. "You think they've been too quiet, huh?"

"It just...it seems like an opportunity for them. With so much focus on the two finals matches, none of us have really been keeping our guards up." Clemont could see Korrina's hand reaching to a pokeball and did the same. "And with Serena and Gabby having had such a big battle, that's four strong Pokemon from two of our strongest trainers out of the way."

"If they show up, it would make more sense for them to wait until the Battle Teams fought, wouldn't it?" Korrina asked, looking nervously behind them as someone walked across the street. They disappeared down another a moment later and she relaxed.

"I would think so," Clemont agreed, nodding, "but whatever's happened with their base being investigated must have changed their plans somewhat. Raphael surely planned to stay here, but he had to flee. I'm guessing he'll want to take the first good opportunity he can get, and this would be one."

Korrina took a shaky breath, but nodded in agreement. "That does make sense. I almost wish we brought Vivillon with us now."

Clemont had been thinking the same, but he hadn't fully considered the possibility of an attack coming when they were at the Pokemon Centre. Seeing the other students so relaxed and unbothered after the big match, along with the tired out trainers from the playoffs up to this point, had made him uneasy, though. He could see an opportunity for the hunters and was sure they would see it as well.

"Prism Tower might be a target, so it might be safer for Vivillon to be with Marie and Nurse Joy," Clemont pointed out. "Marie's gotten much stronger with some of our training sessions, you know."

"That's true," Korrina said, smiling at the thought. She'd seen a sparring match the other day with Marie and Clemont where her Chikorita had given Chespin fits using its Sweet Scent attack. "She might take your place on the Battle Team if you're not careful."

"Maybe," Clemont laughed, perfectly willing to let that be the case if it meant Marie and the others could hold the Pokemon Centre safely in case anything happened.

They continued on in relative silence for another few minutes, before they turned down the street that was aiming straight towards Prism Tower. Clemont was feeling a little more at ease when he saw it ahead, but he couldn't help but notice a few shadowy figures hanging out near the courtyard in front. They disappeared a moment later, but it seemed odd. _Maybe I'm just being paranoid,_ he thought, shaking his head. Then, a voice calling out to him suddenly made him jump about a foot in the air.

Clemont was embarrassed at his reaction, but he noticed Korrina's was fairly similar, the Shalour Gym Leader already preparing to throw her pokeball when she looked ahead and sighed in relief. Clemont relaxed enough to follow her gaze and sighed in relief as well when he noticed his father and Bonnie approaching. Clemont supposed his dad had been doing a job nearby and was on his way back home with Bonnie and had been looking for him.

"Whoa, son! Sorry about that. Just your sister and me!" Meyer said, he and Bonnie coming to a stop in front of Clemont and Korrina. "You two seem pretty uneasy..."

"Were you guys k-" Bonnie started saying, before Clemont quickly interrupted, face going red as Meyer chuckled.

"Just wanted to check on something at the gym," he said, giving Bonnie a warning look, before glancing at his father. "With the hunters...I just want to be sure of our plans."

Meyer shifted uncomfortably, hand going to something in his pocket. "Right..." He glanced at Bonnie, before looking to Clemont and Korrina again, "There was something I wanted to check on as well before heading home. Would you two mind if Bonnie headed to the gym with you?" When Clemont gave him an uneasy look, Meyer clarified. "I think...you three might be safer together there."

Clemont frowned, while Bonnie looked up in surprise as well. "What do you mean? Have you heard something?"

"Professor Sycamore mentioned there have been some...unusual people spotted near the lab and by the the stadium," Meyer said, resting a hand on Bonnie's shoulder to reassure her. "He just wanted me to...make sure none of his equipment was tampered with."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Clemont asked, feeling like there was something his father wasn't telling him.

"No, I want you three safe in that gym," Meyer said. "Use...whatever it is you've set up. Keep Bonnie with you."

Clemont exchanged a nervous glance with Korrina. Clearly they weren't the only ones who expected something was about to happen. "I won't sit back if something is happening, dad." Clemont then said, looking to Meyer. "I'm the Gym Leader of this city."

Meyer nodded, as though he expected that answer. "Then protect that tower, and do what you can to help the others." He looked to Bonnie. "Do as your brother says, Bonnie."

She nodded, although Clemont was doubtful she'd do everything he said. "I'll be careful. And Dedenne's here to help us."

"Nene!"

Meyer grinned at that. "Excellent." With one last look at Clemont and Korrina, he set off, appearing to pull something red from his bag as he rounded a corner, a pokeball in his hand.

Clemont felt his heart racing now, and quickly had Bonnie step in between him and Korrina as they continued heading towards Prism Tower. When they were just reaching the courtyard, that was when they heard the first shouts. He almost wanted to ignore them and keep heading to the gym, and he might've if there wasn't a yell that was much closer.

Then, five figures stepped out in front of Prism Tower.

* * *

Tierno and Trevor nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard the first explosion, right out front of the residence buildings. Then, when they were just getting their bearings and realizing what was going on, they heard another one, not too far behind them. As they looked around, they began to hear shouts, and the sounds of Pokemon crying out as fighting began, followed by a few sirens. Instantly, they looked at one another, dread in their eyes as they realized what was going on.

"It's gotta be the hunters," Tierno said, looking around nervously as he saw a few students running. Some seemed to be fleeing, while others seemed to be heading towards the explosions, pokeballs in their hands. "Think they're just attacking here?"

Trevor shook his head, looking as though he was trying to concentrate on something. "No...listen. There's more shouting further away. They must be attacking other places too."

Tierno listened a little more closely, hearing the faint sounds a moment later. He tensed, realizing they seemed to be coming from all directions. _How could we have missed this? We knew they were planning something, but they got the jump on us anyway._ He gritted his teeth, hating the hunters for their timing. They were taking advantage of the distraction of the Performance Championships.

"Come on, let's go see what's happening out front of the Chesnaught Building. Looks like something's going on there," Tierno then said, pulling out a pokeball, Trevor doing the same next to him.

When they got closer, the students running to and from the scene made much more sense, and Tierno could feel the temptation to be one of those fleeing the scene as he looked upon what was happening. A group of about a dozen hunters appeared to be assaulting the front entrance to the building, their Pokemon sending a barrage of attacks towards the area where five students were doing their best to hold them off. Fortunately, the Chesnaught Building was one of the advanced students buildings, so they were holding off the hunters reasonably well. Tierno could see their Pokemon were tiring, though, and they were definitely heavily outnumbered.

"We have to help them!" Trevor shouted, jumping out of the way as a student ran down the street, apparently fleeing from another attack on one of the other buildings. "All of them..."

"We'll start here," Tierno said, calling out Chimchar, who immediately prepared to fight in front of him. "If we can get some more students to fight with us, we'll stand a better chance. And if they're from the advanced classes, they can help us protect the less experienced students."

Trevor nodded at that, glancing back at the student who had just run off, sympathy in his eyes. Tierno supposed it was probably one of the novices. A moment later, though, Trevor steeled himself, looking ahead to the battle out front of the building and threw his pokeball forward, ready to fight. "Marshtomp, let's go!"

The two of them rushed forward, and as they neared the fight, Tierno got a better look at what was happening. In front of the building, the students guarding the entrance had a Feraligatr, Linoone, Doublade, Ninjask and an Ursaring out. They were certainly strong looking Pokemon, but the numbers that the hunters had were making it an unfair fight. There were five Skorupi and five Poochyena, along with one Drapion and one Mightyena. Tierno noticed that two of the twelve hunters seemed to be taking the lead with the orders, so he assumed they were in control of the two evolved Pokemon. Whatever the case, he was ready to fight them.

"Chimchar, hit 'em with Ember!"

"Marshtomp, Water Gun!"

The hunters were surprised by the sudden attack, almost all of them turning around at Tierno and Trevor calling out their attacks. It was all the more satisfying as Chimchar's Ember attack rained down on a trio of Skorupi, while a couple of Poochyena were knocked down together by Marshtomp's Water Gun. Two of the students guarding the entrance took advantage of the distraction as well, the Ursaring trainer calling for a Hammer Arm, while the Feraligatr trainer ordered a Hydro Pump. Each attack struck another couple of Skorupi and Poochyena each, leaving the Mightyena and the Drapion hesitant while their companions struggled to stand.

"Hey, who do you kids think you are?" one of the hunters yelled at Tierno and Trevor. "We got orders to take over these buildings. Don't mess with us, or you're gonna get hurt!"

"We're students of this school!" Tierno said proudly, spinning and snapping his fingers as he maneuvered his way over to stand with the other students, along with Trevor. "We're not letting you hurt this school without a fight. We've got friends and Pokemon to take care of, and we know what you losers are up to. That beat doesn't match our rhythm!"

Trevor nodded, standing proud next to Tierno. "We've been ready to take you guys down for a long time now, and we're not backing down now. If you want our Pokemon, you'll have to beat us first."

"All of us!" one of the guarding students added, nodding to Tierno and Trevor as he stepped forward, the other joining him.

"If that's the way you want it!" sneered another hunter, this one being one of the ones Tierno assumed was of a higher rank. He nodded to the other one, who grinned. "Mightyena, Dark Pulse!"

"Drapion, Sludge Bomb!"

Tierno was just about to call his counter, when he realized he and his companions weren't the target. He gaped as he watched the Mightyena and Drapion turn towards their pre-evolved forms with no hesitation. Within seconds, the already struggling Poochyena and Skorupi were blown to the sides, completely knocked out. Their trainers stared at their supposed allies, but said nothing as they quickly recalled their Pokemon. A moment later, they all scattered, pulling out more pokeballs as they headed towards the other buildings.

"Weaklings," the Mightyena hunter muttered, glaring at the other hunters. "They won't do much, but as long as they keep your pathetic friends busy while we deal with you, they'll be useful enough."

"Now," the Drapion hunter said, chuckling as he eyed Tierno and the others, "ready to give up, or are you sure you want a beating?"

"We'll see who gets the beating!" Tierno yelled out, stepping forward along with Trevor and the others. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel!"

And with that, the defence of Lumiose University had begun.

* * *

Dawn groaned as her eyes slowly began to open. Her head felt like it was ten times heavier than usual, and her mind felt as foggy as the world's biggest Mist attack. The last thing she could remember was walking out the door of the Pokemon Centre to the training field with Shauna, but when she tried to remember anything else, her head just hurt more.

She tried to move her head a bit to figure out what was going on, although it hurt like crazy. It took a few tries, but she was eventually able to open her eyes a bit more and properly look around. If she had the energy, her eyes would've widened twice as much as they were open now.

"Wh...What's...g-going..." She could barely speak, but from the looks of things, she was far better off than the two others with her.

Dawn took a deep breath and tried to focus a bit more, fully taking in what seemed to be the prison she was in. It seemed to be one of the smaller rooms in the Pokemon Centre, and one with no windows. It was dark, so she couldn't quite tell, but she supposed it might've been a supply closet. Cramped in there with her were two shapes. Closest to her she could recognize Marie, and she assumed the third was Shauna, which was confirmed a moment later as she began to groan and stir awake as well.

"D-Dawn...?" Shauna murmured weakly, blinking tiredly as she looked over at her. "What...is...h-happen...ing?"

Dawn took a moment to answer, feeling relieved as Marie seemed to stir awake as well. As her friends tried to recover their senses a bit, she racked her brain to remember what she could. Still unable to think of anything, she looked around the room, realizing that each of them had been tied up. At least, their hands were bound, and there was such little room with the three of them in there that their legs couldn't really move either.

"We...We were taken prisoner...I guess?" She tried to listen for any sounds coming from the other side of the door, but there was nothing other than some muffled voices and the shuffling of feet. There were definitely people out there, but nothing she could recognize.

Shauna looked around with wide eyes. "You don't think it was the hunters, do you?"

Dawn didn't answer, instead trying to see if she could wiggle out of her restraints. She failed, but at least she'd shifted to a more comfortable position. Not that it was an ideal position either, with a box pressed into her back. She was sure Shauna knew as well as she did that it was very likely who they feared that was responsible for their current predicament. There was no point voicing it and agonizing over it anymore. They needed to think of something to do.

Marie apparently had an answer, though. "It was Casey. At least...she's the one who attacked me."

That seemed to snap both Dawn and Shauna out of their remaining grogginess and their gazes locked on Marie. "Casey? Not the Casey from Laverre?" Dawn shook her head, not really able to believe it. Of all the Laverre students besides Anton and Gabby, Casey would've been the one she least suspected. _But maybe that's why she was perfect for this._

Marie nodded, rubbing her head, clearly struggling the most to recover from whatever it was that had knocked them all out. "She came by with...her Meditite. She said it was hurt, but it didn't look like it. Then when I was taking her back to check it out, she attacked."

"I guess it makes sense that Raphael would've tried to get one of his students to help him," Shauna pointed out, although she still looked like she was trying to come to terms with the news. "Do you think she's even doing it because she wants to?"

"I can't imagine anyone who knows what Anton and Gabby went through would turn their backs on them like that without being forced," Dawn said, hoping that Casey didn't have that kind of evil in her. Of course, it didn't feel great to think she was being forced into this, either. If she was being forced, Raphael was probably doing something horrible to make her do his bidding. And, whether she was really their enemy or not, Dawn knew they did need to fight back whenever they had their chance.

Shauna and Marie seemed to have the same thought, as the two of them began to position themselves so that they were looking at the door that separated them from what was likely the rest of the Pokemon Centre. "Did you see any sign of anybody else with Casey?" Shauna asked Marie. "It seems like we were knocked out without having any idea what was going on."

Marie shook her head. "It was just her and Meditite." She paused, listening to some footsteps and muffled voices on the other side of the door. "It doesn't make sense that she'd be trusted to attack a Pokemon Centre on her own, though, whether she's fully on their side or not. They must have others here now. It sounds like they have Nurse Joy out there with them...so maybe there's been fighting outside."

Dawn listened a little more closely, realizing that she could just barely recognize Nurse Joy on the other side as well. She didn't sound too happy of course, but it was good to know she wasn't hurt. It was concerning that the hunters had taken over the Pokemon Centre, but it did give her hope if there was some fighting going on. If her friends had even the slightest chance to get to them, they would be on their way in no time. _They'll have plenty of enemies to go through, though_ , Dawn told herself. _If only we had our Pokemon to help us get out of here_.

"Where do you think they'll have put our Pokemon?" she asked, looking to Marie, assuming she would know the best hiding places in the Pokemon Centre for such things.

"I'm not sure," Maire admitted a moment later, looking guilty. "I might've thought the supply closet, but we seem to be in that." She thought for a moment, frowning as she stared at the door. "Maybe one of the back rooms. Like the one we had Absol in. It'd be tough for people to get there if they were fighting their way inside, and they'll have all the hurt Pokemon in between that people will need to be careful of."

"So when we get out, we'll need to be really careful about how we move," Dawn noted, heart racing at the thought. They were definitely in a tough spot, but if they at least tried to plan something, it was better than sitting there scared. She was sure their friends would be coming as soon as possible, but she had no idea what the situation was like outside. For all she knew, the Pokemon Centre wasn't the only thing taken by the hunters. Perhaps the whole city was held.

"Is Vivillon out there?" Shauna asked Marie, looking surprisingly hopeful.

"I'd put it in one of the rooms to sleep," Marie said, not seeming to think it was particularly important. "It's probably trapped in there."

"Maybe," Shauna said, "but if anyone would've sensed hunters coming in, it would've been Vivillon."

"What about Serena and Gabby's Pokemon?" Dawn asked, worried about Absol and Altaria in particular. They would be prized targets with their Mega Stones, and they'd suffered abuse from the hunters just like Vivillon.

"They'll have been too tired to do anything," Marie admitted, looking upset, before taking a deep breath in an attempt to recover a bit. "But Vivillon...maybe it could've escaped. Casey was definitely more focused on Absol and Altaria."

"I hope it did. It must've seen-"

Dawn stopped talking immediately as the door began to open, squinting as the lights from the Pokemon Centre filled the closet they were in. It took her a moment to adjust, before she looked at the figure in the doorway. It was Casey, eyeing the three captives carefully, before glancing back at someone behind her, who murmured something before she looked back inside, gesturing for Dawn and the others to get up. Dawn was glad to see Casey didn't look too pleased about what she was doing, but it didn't make her feel any less angry as she stared at her. _I guess I still have a chance to settle the score we have from the IPL_.

"Let 'em out," a hunter called out from behind Casey. "We've gotta question them to see if they've got any useful information we can give the boss. But first, let 'em see the cost of not telling us." He said the last part with a laugh, and as Dawn and the others shuffled out of the supply closet and into one of the treatment rooms, she noticed why he was so confident, her eyes quickly looking up at the television screen on the wall.

"Got control of the Lumiose City airwaves," another hunter said, chuckling. "Now the boss can send his message. Just hope your fellow students know what's best for them."

Dawn exchanged an uneasy glance with her friends, before shooting a glare at Casey and then looking to the screen. What she saw instantly made her feel cold. It seemed the hunters with Casey were telling the truth. Somehow, Raphael had control of the airwaves, and his image was on the screen. It didn't seem as though he was in the city himself, with the forest in the background, but his presence was felt nonetheless as he smirked into the camera.

"People of Lumiose City, and students and trainers from elsewhere in Kalos who are competing in the Interschool Pokemon League Playoff tournament," the leader of the hunters said, his voice like ice as he spoke. "My name is Raphael, and I am the leader of the fine people visiting you this evening. I humbly ask that you welcome them into the city with open arms. If you do not, I believe things will be most unpleasant."

With that, the screen showed an image of a large group of hunters heading into the city, near Prism Tower. It was a chilling enough sight to see as they marched in, releasing their menacing Pokemon alongside them, but the screen changed a few times, showing more hunters entering at the other roads into the city. Dawn was a little surprised at how easy it seemed for them, but Raphael and his hunters clarified that a moment later, the screen also flashing to a large group of police officers, Officer Jenny among them, held somewhere in the forest, all unconscious and tied up. Another image showed police cars, along with regular cars from other people who had likely been travelling, piled up near a vicious looking Steelix. It seemed the hunters had made sure to take over all entrances, and exits, to the city. It would be difficult to get aid from other cities, or flee if the opportunity came.

"As you can see," Raphael said, the screen showing him again, his smirk somehow bigger and more obnoxious, "my friends and I are intent on privacy with this little visit of ours. There's no need to involve the neighbouring cities or Officer Jenny and her fellow officers. We can...negotiate without any interference this way."

"If you think this will make people scared, you've got no idea who you're dealing with," Marie snapped at one of the hunters in the room. Dawn realized there were four just in this small room. She expected there were probably more throughout the Pokemon Centre, and even more guarding it outside. _How many enemies are we dealing with?_ she thought nervously.

"We know exactly who we're dealing with, kid," the hunter said, chuckling as he waved dismissively at her. "Lots of kids ran like babies on our way here, and this one had you three and Nurse Joy knocked out before we could make you cry like them." He glanced at Casey, who stared at the ground in shame. "The boss was right about you. Might not really be one of us, but you're an effective one to do the job, that's for sure."

Dawn wanted to say something in response, but her attention was brought back to the screen as Raphael continued his ominous speech. "Currently, my friends are in the process of visiting your most notable places of business, where those who may wish to oppose us, and/or those who hold...products we may find desirable will be located." At that, an image of the Pokemon Centre was shown, followed by the stadium, performing theatre, residence buildings, Professor Sycamore's lab and Prism Tower. Dawn tensed at the last two, seeing Professor Sycamore and the visiting Alolan staff in the middle of a fight and guessing that Clemont was in a rough situation as well if he was near his gym. She just hoped Ash, Serena, Trevor and Tierno weren't in danger at the residence buildings.

"Looks like we were worried about nothing," the hunter who had taunted Casey muttered, chuckling as he watched. "We'd thought you trainers would put up a bit of a fight. Looks like those kids are running or beaten already."

Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be wrong. A lot of the images Dawn was seeing seemed to show people running from the groups of hunters. She even saw a couple of terrifying scenes of knocked out or scared and helpless trainers unable to fight back as hunters took their Pokemon. If they didn't start fighting back now, there would be no way to defeat the hunters. Professor Sycamore's lab seemed to be holding up the best, and even that image didn't look to be too good.

"All we ask," Raphael continued, smiling as though he were a waiter at a restaurant offering a nice meal, "is that you cooperate. Things will go much easier for you if you do not resist."

With that, the message cut off, the screen going blank.

Dawn felt numb as she looked to her friends. They had to fight back. They had to escape. But they were outnumbered, without Pokemon and without their friends. If their friends weren't captured as well, they were likely fighting with everything they had, and quickly being surrounded and potential allies were already losing or just fleeing in fear.

"No need to worry," Dawn whispered to herself, shakily dropping to her knees. Of course, she knew very well that right now, there was definitely a need to worry.

 **Author's Note:**

And so...the hunters have attacked, and they've come with force and numbers and some evil planning. I don't know how menacing they come across, but I suppose it's a bit more difficult to make it as meaningful with nameless hunters to begin with. The number of attackers is a bit of a sub for that currently. We do have a couple of previously mentioned hunters coming in eventually, though, for some big fighting.

I think this might be the most awkward of the hunter battle chapters, so apologies for that. With everyone split up and needing to be in their specific spots it makes for a bit of a repetitive start, but hopefully it'll get more interesting as it goes and they need to take on their different tasks. I guess we'll see.

As for Serena's once again near confession, I know it might seem a bit too much like the previous chapter's, but I feel it was a little closer to actually happening this time. And who knows...something might happen soon...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next one.


End file.
